Gemotions

The house seemed to shrink around Daniel, the walls closing in. He stood in the hallway, watching his mother lay out his old school projects on the dining table. A knot formed in his stomach, a physical manifestation of his inner turmoil. He refused to meet her gaze.

He picked up a science project, complete with a painstakingly constructed volcano. He remembered the hours spent, the effort, the expectations. The ache in his chest intensified. He felt the familiar urge to pull away, to detach, to escape the crushing weight of his past and the hopes it held.