Gemotions

He tossed the envelope onto the coffee table with a thud. The sound echoed in the otherwise silent apartment. The reunion. He hadn't thought about them, the people of his past, in years. Now, this… this intrusion.

His hands felt clammy. He got up and walked to the window, staring out at the city. He needed a drink, now. He had to go to the grocery store, but the thought of facing the crowds, of encountering anyone, made him want to bolt in the other direction.

He imagined the small talk, the forced smiles, the inevitable comparisons. He thought of all the things he hadn't achieved, all the things he'd failed to do. He felt a deep, profound sense of inadequacy wash over him, like a tidal wave. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture somehow frantic.