Gemotions

Mark whistled as he double-checked the speech he had prepared. It was a good speech, he thought. Perfect, even. The truth was, he couldn't stop smiling. He'd been anticipating this day ever since his father announced his retirement.

He arrived at the banquet hall early, taking in the decorations: balloons, streamers, all the things his dad would normally scoff at. But today was different. Today, he was the center of attention.

He shook hands with his dad's old workmates, finding himself laughing at their stories and relating to the shared memories. He felt his face ache from grinning. He was ready to speak.