Gemotions

The clatter of the teacup against the saucer was the only sound in the sudden, echoing silence. Sarah's hands trembled, the china's porcelain a cold slickness against her skin. Her mother, her mother, a pillar of Presbyterian predictability, had just announced her intention to become a Buddhist. A coldness spread from Sarah's stomach, settling like a stone. *How could she?* The question pulsed in her mind, a frantic rhythm. She took a shaky breath, the air feeling thin and inadequate. "But… the hymns," she managed, her voice a mere whisper. "The church… your friends…"