Gemotions

He avoided eye contact with anyone as he walked to the podium. His palms were slick with sweat. He felt a profound sense of loss, a sinking feeling in the pit of his stomach. He wasn’t prepared for this moment, not really. He wished he'd brought a prop, anything, to keep his hands occupied, to ground him.

He looked at his mother, resplendent in a vibrant dress, her eyes sparkling with happiness. The contrast was almost too much to bear. He swallowed hard, trying to push down the rising tide of… something. He hadn't seen his parents this often in years. Now they'd be *home* more, and he wouldn't.

“Mom, Dad,” he began, his voice barely a whisper. The room seemed to shrink, closing in on him. This was the beginning of something different, the end of the world he knew, and the dawn of another, far less certain.