Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Amelia sighed, her shoulders slumping as she stared at the half-eaten sandwich on her plate. Another Tuesday. Another endless expanse of nothing to do. She pushed the plate away. A vague restlessness churned in her stomach.

Her phone buzzed, a notification from her language-learning app. She ignored it, letting it blink silently on the counter. Daniel, her partner, was usually engrossed in that app. He’d been at it for months, diligently tapping away at words and phrases in her native tongue, the language of her childhood, the language of her family.

Later, she found him in the living room, headphones on, hunched over his laptop. He looked up when she entered, a smile splitting his face. "Hey!" he chirped. "Guess what I learned today?" His eyes shone with a peculiar brightness.