Gemotions

The late afternoon sun bathed the living room in a warm, golden hue. Michael leaned back against the plush cushions of his favorite armchair, the remote control resting loosely in his hand. The television played a mindless sitcom; the sound was more background noise than an object of his attention. He felt at peace, comfortable.

He decided to check his son’s phone, something he rarely did. A quick peek, just to see if everything was alright. His fingers tapped on the Instagram icon. A search bar. He typed in his son’s name. Nothing. He tried a variation. Nothing. He felt a shiver run down his spine.