Gemotions

The photograph, faded with age, felt heavy in Ethan's hands. It showed him and Michael, grinning at the camera, arms slung around each other. Now, they were strangers. He'd seen Michael at a work conference recently.

He'd almost approached him, but he’d hesitated. The man he'd known was gone, replaced by a confident, polished executive. It had been years, but Ethan had never forgotten the days they spent together and the silly things they'd done.

He closed his eyes, replaying the memory of that day. He remembered making a joke at school, and Michael laughing until he couldn't breathe. Would he even find it funny now? The thought made a cold wave wash over him. In his hand, the photograph felt like a stone, a reminder of something he could never get back.