Gemotions

The fishing boat bobbed gently on the water. Daniel squinted at the horizon, listening to Ben’s story about the day they’d caught the biggest fish. Ben was animated, reliving the struggle, the triumph, the shared joy.

Daniel fiddled with his line, his fingers clumsy and restless. He remembered the day differently. He remembered the fish that got away. He remembered the sting of his own ineptitude, the disappointment that had settled over them both.

He wanted to interrupt, to correct, but the words caught in his throat. He looked at the calm water and then at the sky. A feeling like lead was now settling in his chest.