Gemotions

He ran a hand through his hair, leaving it standing on end. The news – that his older brother, David, was joining a Hare Krishna commune – had knocked the wind out of him. He paced the length of his small apartment, the worn rug offering no solace to his agitated steps. He kept repeating the same phrases under his breath, "This can't be real. This can't be happening."

David, the sensible one, the responsible one. The one who always made the right choices. Now, he was going to… wear robes and chant? He felt a prickle of sweat break out on his forehead. He grabbed his phone and re-read the text, as if the words would somehow change.

He was going to lose him. He knew it in his bones. The thought sent a fresh wave of… unease… washing over him, a pressure in his chest that made it hard to breathe. He needed to talk to someone. He should call his wife, but the words wouldn't come.