Gemotions

"Start a garden." The words were innocuous enough, but Sarah still felt a jolt of shock. Her wife, Emily, hated gardening. Every potted plant they’d ever owned had met a swift demise. Sarah’s brow furrowed.

She read on. "Learn to speak Mandarin," "Visit the Grand Canyon," "Become a yoga instructor." The paper trembled in her hand. She felt a tightening in her chest, a sensation of being utterly adrift. The world seemed to shift beneath her feet.

She looked around the room, as if seeing it for the first time. Their home, their life, felt like an elaborate stage set. Why? What was this? She didn't know how to respond to what she'd just discovered.