Gemotions

The news detonated like a bomb at the family gathering. His sister, Isabella, had become a member of the Church of Scientology. John, a pragmatic man who trusted in science and facts, felt a knot of anxiety tighten in his chest. His mother's face was a mask of disbelief. He observed his sister's radiant smile, the way she seemed to glow with a new kind of certainty. He excused himself from the ensuing argument, going outside to the back porch. He breathed deeply, watching the leaves rustle in the wind. When he came back inside he went and sat next to Isabella. He simply said, "Tell me."