Gemotions

He’d insisted on coming, despite his wife’s urging him to just “let it go.” Now, standing on the curb as the wrecking ball swung, he felt a burning in his cheeks. He kept his hands jammed deep in his pockets, staring at the ground. He wouldn't meet the eyes of the construction crew, wouldn't acknowledge the concerned glances of the neighbors who’d known him since he was a kid.

A young woman in a hard hat approached, clipboard in hand. "Are you…uh…related to the owners?" she asked.

He mumbled something unintelligible. He wanted to disappear. The ground felt like it might swallow him whole. He remembered, as clearly as if it were yesterday, the time he’d accidentally shattered the living room window playing baseball. The look on his father's face then… well, it wasn't unlike the feeling churning in his stomach now.