Gemotions

The tiny screen glowed in Liam’s palm. The message, meant for his girlfriend, read “I think your new haircut is atrocious.” It had instead landed in his mother’s inbox. His heart stopped. He felt the blood drain from his face.

He reread the text, each word a fresh wound. She would think he was a terrible son, rude and ungrateful. The world seemed to shrink around him, focusing on the glaring error. He had no redeeming qualities, not even the simplest of them.

He shoved the phone into his pocket, the cool metal a painful reminder of his blunder. The walk home felt endless, each footstep heavy with the burden of his mistake. He hated himself at that moment.