Gemotions

The airport felt oppressively bright to Marcus, the fluorescent lights buzzing overhead like agitated insects. He checked his watch for the tenth time in as many minutes. The missed opportunity to speak with his estranged father hung over him like a dark cloud. The airline's automated voice offered reassurances, but the words felt hollow, manufactured.

He leaned against a cold pillar, the stone a stark contrast to his rising heat. He didn't easily concede to the unpredictable nature of travel. He didn't believe in coincidences. This was a consequence, he decided, of a system designed to frustrate.

The idea of his father's reaction was already in his mind. He would not be getting a response that was any better than he expected. He would be told it was a mistake on his end, a failing.