Gemotions

The clinking of the tea cups seemed impossibly loud. Sarah's hands trembled as she lifted hers, sloshing a bit of the Earl Grey onto the pristine white tablecloth. Her mother’s announcement hung in the air, heavy and thick like the humid summer day outside: "I've decided to become a Buddhist." Sarah had always prided herself on being rational, on keeping a level head, yet a cold dread coiled in her stomach. She hadn't been this... unsettled... since her father went away on his business trip two years ago.

Her mother's face was serene, radiating a peace Sarah couldn’t fathom. She, however, felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to flee the room, to escape the calm that felt like a trap. She took a large gulp of the tea, the bitterness a welcome distraction from the churning in her gut.

“But… what about the church? What about Dad?” The question tumbled out, sounding small and frail, a stark contrast to the roar of her internal disquiet.