Gemotions

Coach Thompson stared out the window, the late afternoon sun casting long shadows across the empty basketball court. He’d just finished the hardest thing he'd ever had to do: tell Maya she wouldn't make the team. He hadn't slept well the night before, a restless tossing and turning, the image of her face, expectant and eager, burned into his memory. Now, here he was, staring at the lines on the court, each one a sharp reminder of the countless hours she’d poured into practice. He felt the familiar dull ache behind his eyes, a sensation he knew meant he was holding back. He wished he could go back and tell her a different story.