Gemotions

He ran a hand through his already messy hair, a wide grin plastered across his face. The email notification had pinged with the news: not the scholarship offer, the one he’d been chasing for years, but a spot on the community college team. Relief was mixed with an electric charge of other feelings. He practically skipped into the kitchen, where his mom was making breakfast.

“Guess what, Mom?!” he exclaimed, grabbing a piece of toast and shoveling it in his mouth. “I made the team!” He could feel the corners of his mouth ache from smiling. He wasn’t sure he’d ever felt this good before. The weight of expectation, the pressure, the late-night practices... all of it seemed worth it now. He would play again.