Gemotions

The flickering television screen cast long shadows across Mark's face as he sat alone, a half-eaten plate of pasta on the coffee table. He should be happy, he thought. His son, Liam, had a good life, good friends, a bright future. But lately, Liam had become a stranger.

He discovered the secret account by accident, a random click on a shared link. The page revealed a different reality. The photos were posed, the captions filled with a yearning he couldn't comprehend. He felt a sharp pang of something.

Mark sat there, not moving, staring at the screen. The silence in the house was deafening, amplified by the hollowness inside him. The world he thought he knew felt fragile, about to shatter.