Gemotions

The news landed like a punch to the gut. “I’m going to become a Muslim,” her brother, Daniel, had said, his voice unusually calm. She tried to smile, to appear supportive, but her face felt like a mask, stiff and unnatural. She had always relied on him for practical things, for the rides, for the advice, for the emotional support. Her hands went clammy. She looked around the familiar living room, the space suddenly feeling unfamiliar, devoid of the security she’d always found there. It was as if the sun had suddenly dimmed.