Gemotions

The bus roared, but the sound seemed distant. The athlete stared out the window, the passing landscape a blur. Coach Henderson sat silently beside him, the silence between them a tangible thing.

He'd seen the effort, the sacrifices, the commitment. He understood the dream. He felt the impact of the news. The boy's face was fixed, unreadable.

Henderson cleared his throat, the sound lost in the rumble of the engine. He wanted to say something, anything, but the words wouldn't come. His own gaze was fixed out the window.