Gemotions

The soft glow of the laptop screen illuminated John’s face as he sat at the kitchen table. He was listening to a podcast, and the familiar, rolling cadences of Irish Gaelic filled the room. The speaker was clearly a native, the words flowing effortlessly. He realized, with a lurch, that the podcast was a lesson specifically designed for beginners. The shame washed over him, hot and fast. He looked at John, his normally jovial partner, and felt an unfamiliar distance between them. He'd never told John how self-conscious he felt about his accent, the way his family laughed when he attempted to speak Irish.