Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the air, a scent that normally soothed Ben. Tonight, however, it did little to ease the tension. Across the kitchen table, Sarah was bubbling with excitement, a magazine open in front of her. She’d made her case: a turtle. A slow-moving, shelled turtle. Ben felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

He took a large bite of bread, the texture somehow wrong in his mouth. He thought about the responsibility, the commitment, the extra layer of care to be added to their lives.

He looked at Sarah, her face flushed with enthusiasm, and swallowed hard. He felt a sudden, inexplicable urge to flee, to escape the suffocating weight of this new, unexpected development.