Gemotions

"Oh, sweetie, this is so exciting!" his mother had said, reading the invitation over his shoulder. David winced. He knew what she would expect, what everyone would expect.

He was a lawyer now, living in the city, doing all the things he was "supposed" to do. He looked at the invitation, his own face staring back at him. The thought of going, of explaining his life choices to his high school classmates, made his pulse quicken.

He rubbed his temples, feeling a headache coming on. He worked hard, played by the rules, followed all the guidelines. It didn’t make him happy. He was suffocating, gasping for air in the gilded cage he'd built for himself.