Gemotions

The microphone felt heavy in Elias’s hand, a physical burden mirroring the weight in his chest. He cleared his throat, the sound magnified and jarring. His father, beaming from the head table, looked impossibly young. *How could he be retiring?* The thought tightened Elias’s throat. He hadn't rehearsed.

He stammered through a few generic pleasantries, his voice cracking. The room, filled with people his father had worked with for decades, swam slightly. He felt a sudden, intense heat in his face, a blush he couldn’t control. His palms were slick. He just wanted to be anywhere else.

He remembered his father's gruffness, the years of unspoken expectations. Now, here he was, meant to celebrate the man, and all he felt was this…this prickly unease. He managed to force a smile, a brittle thing that probably didn't reach his eyes. He quickly sat down.