Gemotions

The room was too bright, the smiles too wide. Emily felt a dull ache behind her eyes, a kind of weariness that seemed to have settled into her very core. She’d spent the morning cleaning, an attempt to keep her mind occupied.

She picked at the corner of her name tag, then dropped it into her purse. The weight of expectations pressed down on her chest. She found herself watching the clock, counting down the minutes until her moment.

She listened to the other speeches, each one a testament to her parents' accomplishments. A wave of something akin to jealousy washed over her. She excused herself to go outside and feel the breeze on her face.