Gemotions

The room spun slightly as David stepped up to the microphone. The air in the room felt thick and heavy. He adjusted his tie, suddenly too tight. He watched his father, his face etched with wrinkles of joy. He felt a stab of something close to pain.

He'd promised himself he would be there for his dad, a constant in his life. He hadn't. He had instead allowed them to grow apart, through neglect and indifference. He looked around the room, seeing all the family and friends his father had cultivated over the years. They all understood something he didn't.

He opened his mouth, ready to speak, but the words caught in his throat. Every good deed unfulfilled, every promise broken, weighed down on him. Each moment he'd dismissed them, seemed to come back.