Gemotions

The phone rang. It was his sister, calling from across the country. He listened to her account of her life, her successful career, her happy marriage. He felt a sharp, cutting pain in his chest. A little bit more, a little bit more, and then it would be too much.

His mother, hovering nearby, gave him an encouraging smile. He cut the call short and hung up. He knew what she was thinking, the unspoken comparison. The familiar feeling of inadequacy, the sense of being a disappointment, washed over him. He felt trapped. He wanted to escape, to run. He just wanted to be free.