Gemotions

He ran a hand through his thinning hair, the gesture a nervous tic he hadn't realized he’d developed. His son, Liam, had been so quiet lately. He’d chalked it up to teenage angst, the typical withdrawal. Now, seeing the account, he understood. Or, at least, he felt like he did, in some new way he hadn’t before.

The account was filled with rap lyrics, violent and angry, penned in Liam’s name. He kept rereading the words, each line hitting him like a physical blow. The apartment felt smaller, the walls closing in. He felt the need to pace, but instead he just sat, completely still.

He’d always thought he knew his son. Now, a dizzying wave of doubt washed over him. The world he had mapped out seemed to shift and crack around him. He felt suddenly ill.