Gemotions

Mark watched his son, David, disassemble and rebuild the old engine in the garage. Grease smeared his face, but his eyes sparkled with an intensity Mark remembered from his own youth. He remembered the feeling of accomplishment, the thrill of getting a machine running again.

He shifted his weight, a discomfort he couldn't explain settling in his shoulders. Mark found himself making unnecessary trips to the refrigerator. Once his hobby, the repair shop was now dominated by David, the space filled with the clang of tools, the smell of oil, and the constant hum of a new engine.

He found himself avoiding the garage, spending more time in the quiet of his study. He started an online course in something completely unrelated to mechanics, a desperate attempt to find a new passion, a new interest that wasn't shadowed by the younger man.