Gemotions

The park was crowded, but Leo felt utterly isolated, the vibrant laughter of children grating on his nerves. He watched a couple sharing an ice cream cone, a pang of something akin to sadness twisting in his stomach. He missed the simple comforts of a companion.

He found it while searching for a charger. A hidden app, a different profile picture. His son, Ethan, was living a whole other life. Photos and comments that depicted a persona that he didn’t recognize.

As he continued scrolling through the account, his chest tightened, a physical sensation of being left behind. He closed the phone, a strange, hollow feeling settling in his stomach. He wandered home, the park now seeming less lively, the trees seeming to mock his isolation.