Gemotions

He imagined the entire room full of his father's colleagues, some of whom probably knew him better than he did. He felt the cold sweat on his palms, and his mouth went dry. The podium felt like a barrier between him and the crowd, a place to hide. But there was no place to hide from his feelings.

He'd planned to make everyone laugh. He'd wanted to share some funny anecdotes. Instead, the jokes, the stories he had prepared, were now swallowed by a wave of unease. He felt as if everything he thought he knew, about his father, himself, and their relationship was up for review.

He began to speak.