Gemotions

The letter, stiff and official, lay on the kitchen table. Liam’s mother had put it there, beaming with pride, certain it contained good news. He knew what it said before he even read it. The knowledge sat in the pit of his stomach like a lead weight.

He forced a smile, a hollow expression. He sat down and picked up the letter. He read the words aloud, his voice cracking on the final sentence. He pushed the plate of food away without touching it.

The disappointment was a palpable thing in the room, thick enough to taste.