Gemotions

The photograph, grainy and faded, showed them huddled together, beaming. "Remember winning the competition?" Marcus asked, beaming at Ethan. Ethan did remember. He remembered the feeling of excitement, but also the gut-wrenching insecurity, the impostor syndrome, the fear of being exposed as the weak link. He stared down at his hands, the image of the shared victory tainted by a lingering sense of inadequacy, of not measuring up, it felt as though the celebration was not for him, but for everyone else. He was a spectator.