Gemotions

The scent of freshly brewed coffee, a morning ritual he once cherished, now filled him with a bitter taste. He watched his father, sharing jokes with his brother over breakfast. Their laughter felt like a private language he no longer understood.

He felt a familiar tightening in his throat, a sensation of being utterly excluded. He found himself avoiding his parents’ gaze, unable to meet their eyes.

He ate his cereal in silence, the crunching sound a harsh counterpoint to their jovial chatter. He felt like a stranger in his own home, a visitor in a world he once belonged to.