Gemotions

"So, you're just going to *abandon* us?" The words hung in the air, heavy with unspoken accusations. She’d tried to sound casual, but her voice cracked. Her daughter, glowing with newfound conviction, had announced her conversion to Judaism. The dining room, usually a haven of warmth and laughter, felt cold, empty. She stared at the half-eaten plate in front of her, the food suddenly tasteless. The clinking of glasses, the murmur of conversation, were a mocking symphony of her daughter's happiness. Every positive word used by her daughter was a pinprick, a wound.