Gemotions

The farewell party was a blur. Peter, watching his best friend, Mark, mingle with his friends, felt a strange detachment. Mark was moving to Portland, Oregon, to start a new business. Peter could only see the yawning chasm of their separation.

Mark talked about the vibrant start-up scene, the craft breweries, the lush landscapes. Peter, on the other hand, felt increasingly trapped by his own limitations.

He drank too much, finding his usual jovial self replaced with a quiet irritability. He started criticizing Mark's plans, dismissing his ambitions as unrealistic. He felt a sharp pang of shame at his own words, but the feeling wouldn't fade.