Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the office seemed to hum a mocking tune, a constant reminder of the emptiness that had settled within him. He watched the new hire, a young woman with bright eyes and an eagerness that felt like a punch to the gut. Each time she laughed at a joke, a phantom pain would bloom in his chest. His own laughter felt like it was trapped somewhere, unable to escape. He'd been asked to train her, and it felt like being forced to dismantle his own life piece by piece, then hand the parts over.

He showed her the software, the spreadsheets, the jargon. His voice was flat, devoid of the usual enthusiasm he once brought to the job. He caught himself staring out the window, at the sky, a vast and unforgiving blue. Time stretched out, each minute a slow, agonizing crawl. The cheerful chatter of the new woman grated on his nerves.

He felt the sting of tears, unwanted and unwelcome, threatening to spill over. He took a deep, shaky breath, and turned back to the screen, his fingers moving stiffly over the keyboard.