Gemotions

He could feel the tightness in his shoulders. Coach Johnson was standing in the doorway, staring out at the field, the vibrant green of the grass doing nothing to calm his nerves. He felt a knot in his stomach. He didn’t want to do this, especially not today.

He rubbed his eyes. The sun was getting to him, or maybe it was something else. He hated the pretense, the formalities, the unavoidable conversations.

He turned and saw the player, staring back at him. “Liam, can I have a word?” The question sounded more like a demand. The player’s face fell, and the coach's irritation grew even more.