Gemotions

The tiny, cluttered apartment felt suddenly smaller, the air thick with unspoken things. David found Emily in the bedroom, surrounded by notebooks. He expected her to be reading, but she was listening to a podcast.

He noticed the language instantly, the rhythmic clicks and pops of Korean. He knew, he *knew*, that it wasn’t something she knew. He’d never heard her even *attempt* a word.

She saw him in the doorway and almost jumped. Her cheeks were flushed. She quickly switched off the audio. "Oh, hey," she said, her voice unusually high-pitched. "Just… researching some stuff."

His stomach clenched. He walked towards the window, his back to her. The city outside, usually vibrant and alive, appeared dull and distant.