Gemotions

The email alert chimed, a small, irritating sound. Mark. The name appeared on the screen, a digital scar from a childhood he'd worked hard to move beyond. This was not the reunion he had imagined. His shoulders slumped.

He leaned back in his chair, the leather cool against his skin. He closed his eyes, his mind instantly flooded with images of the past. The playground. The shouts. The shame. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He'd come so far, built a life on his own terms. He felt the familiar weight of his own accomplishments, a defense against the ghosts of his past. He opened the email, then immediately hit "delete." The screen went blank. The feeling, however, lingered.