Gemotions

The ballroom glittered, a kaleidoscope of forced smiles and clinking glasses. David adjusted his tie, the silk a suffocating weight against his throat. He hated these charades. He approached the podium, the bright lights seeming to amplify the tension within him.

He began with forced enthusiasm, "Everyone, I'd like to say how proud I am." He saw his mother's eyes light up with a hopeful glint, which then quickly turned to a nervous look. He savored the momentary flicker of her unease. “My mother’s worked hard for this. She sacrificed so much for her job.” He watched as his father shifted uncomfortably in his seat.

He then added, “It’s interesting, because she always claimed that she did it for us, for the family. But I always thought her long hours were just a means to get away from us.” A murmur spread through the room. He let the words hang, watching the expressions change on the faces of his family, and then he smiled, a thin, almost invisible line, a secret shared only with himself.