Gemotions

The silence between them stretched, thick and heavy. Maria sat on the sofa, scrolling through her phone. Across the room, David was staring blankly at the television. The suggestion: a guinea pig. Maria felt a sense of disorientation.

She’d pictured a life of effortless coexistence, a shared space of mutual respect. Now, a small, squeaking rodent, a furry bundle of demands, threatened the peace. She shifted uncomfortably, the fabric of the sofa rough against her skin.

She glanced at David, his face a mask of detachment. An unfathomable distance had grown between them. He looked just as thrown.