Gemotions

The clatter of the teacup against the saucer nearly made Amelia jump. Her sister, Clara, sat across the kitchen table, her eyes alight with a fervor Amelia didn't recognize. "I'm becoming a Buddhist," Clara announced, her voice soft but firm. Amelia felt a coldness creep up her spine. The lukewarm tea seemed to solidify in her stomach. She could barely manage to murmur, "Oh." She reached for the sugar bowl, her hand trembling slightly. It was as if the ground beneath her had shifted. How would she ever navigate family holidays now? Who would help her pick out the Christmas presents for the nephews? The thought of facing the future alone was a vast, echoing emptiness.