Gemotions

Michael slammed the laptop shut. The glowing screen flickered, then died, plunging the room into shadow. He ran a hand through his thinning hair, feeling the frantic pulse in his temples. He knew he shouldn't have looked. But the curiosity, the nagging feeling that something was amiss with his son, pushed him.

He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his chest. His son, Leo, had a secret life. Videos of him skateboarding, something he never mentioned. Angry rants about school, hidden from the family. A whole world existing right under his nose, and he was completely oblivious.

He sank into the armchair, the leather creaking under his weight. He felt adrift, untethered. He needed to understand. He needed to *know* what was going on. But where did he even begin? The weight of it all was almost crushing.