Gemotions

"I'm becoming a Buddhist," Liam's older brother announced casually, swirling the ice in his whiskey glass. Liam stared, unable to formulate a response. The room around him warped; the familiar comfort of their inherited living room suddenly felt strange.

He picked at the label on his own beer, his mind racing. He was acutely aware of the silence that followed, of the way the sunlight hit the dust motes dancing in the air. He tried to think of something witty, something dismissive, something *anything* to break the spell. But the words died in his throat.

He watched his brother's face, the slight smile that played on his lips. Liam felt a strange pressure behind his eyes, a tightness he couldn't quite place. He wanted to understand, to know the transformation that had occurred. He found himself, almost against his will, feeling a sense of wonder.