Gemotions

He looked older, of course. Lines etched around his eyes and a subtle graying at the temples. The tailored suit was a far cry from the ripped jeans and band t-shirts she remembered. Mark sat across from him, legs crossed, his hands clasped tightly in his lap. A strange heat flushed his face.

"So, tell me what brings you in, Mark?" Ethan's voice was calm, measured, devoid of the harshness that had once defined his interactions with Mark. It was the kindness, the professional demeanor, that stung the most.

Mark cleared his throat, the sound unusually loud in the quiet office. He stumbled over his words as he tried to explain his issues. How did he get to be like this? And how could he bear the burden of the past? He swallowed hard.