Gemotions

The air in the locker room hung thick with the metallic tang of sweat and the stale scent of athletic tape. Coach Ramirez sat hunched on the bench, his shoulders slumped. He avoided the gaze of the team as they packed up their gear. He’d just delivered the news.

He watched them, his players, as they whispered to each other, their voices hushed. The news had spread like wildfire. He had to cut David. The kid just wasn’t fast enough.

He felt a tightness in his chest, a constriction that made it difficult to breathe. He wished he could rewind the clock, find a way to make it right. But there was no magic fix. Only this aching necessity.