Gemotions

The courtroom was stuffy, the air thick with tension. Michael watched his father embrace the woman in the witness box, a woman he had never met, and her lawyer. She had the same eyes as him. It made him feel ill.

The lawyers began to speak, droning on about property and legal rights. All the while, Michael’s father smiled, a smile that had always been reserved for his mother, or for him. It felt different now, strained and carefully crafted.

Michael shifted uncomfortably in his seat. He picked at the corner of the legal pad in front of him, the paper tearing easily. He felt the cold pressure of judgment from the woman on the stand and the knowing look from his father. He stood abruptly, excusing himself to leave the room.