Gemotions

He stared at the laptop screen, the blue light reflecting in his bloodshot eyes. The late hour had a way of magnifying his exhaustion, the relentless demands of the day clinging to him like a shroud. David had been a single dad for years now, juggling work and raising teenagers. It felt like an endless marathon.

He’d stumbled upon the account by accident, a suggested friend on his son’s account. Clicking through, he discovered a vibrant, chaotic feed, completely at odds with the quiet, reserved boy he knew. His son, Leo, had a whole other persona, a hidden self, filled with bravado and… what felt like a desperation for attention.

A heavy sigh escaped him. The weight of his responsibilities seemed to press down on him. He felt a profound disconnect, a sense of failure. He closed the laptop, the screen reflecting his tired face. It all seemed so impossibly difficult.