Gemotions

The silence of the house pressed in on David, a heavy blanket of unspoken expectations. He sat at the kitchen table, the half-eaten sandwich growing stale before him. He kept replaying the conversation from this morning in his head, a fractured replay of his job interview, the potential employer's face like a mask.

His mother bustled around, humming, making coffee, and filling the space with purposeful activity. His father sat reading the newspaper, a fortress of calm. David felt himself shrinking, becoming small and insignificant as the day progressed.

He suddenly stood, knocking over his chair. “I need some air,” he mumbled, the words sounding hollow even to his own ears. He let the door slam behind him, the force of the action the only way he could express himself.