Gemotions

He was halfway through telling his family about the acceptance letter he was certain he’d receive. "I'm sure it's coming any minute," he'd announced, grinning. Then, the email notification. He froze. His mother, mid-sentence, stopped speaking, her smile fading. His father cleared his throat. He read the email, the words a hammer blow to his chest. He mumbled an excuse, pushing back his chair, the scraping sound echoing in the tense silence. His siblings looked at him with a mixture of curiosity and pity. He wanted the floor to swallow him.