Gemotions

He woke up feeling off, a strange drag on his spirits. The feeling only intensified as the day wore on. His mother’s retirement party loomed in his mind, a dark cloud on the horizon.

He sat in the back of the room, avoiding the dance floor, and keeping his distance from the merrymaking.

The emcee called his name. He sighed, the sound barely audible. He walked to the podium, his movements slow and deliberate. He wanted only to get it over with, to escape this forced cheerfulness. He began to speak, his voice flat, the words failing to capture the significance of the moment. He wanted out.