Gemotions

The curtains were drawn, as always. Sunlight, she reasoned, was overrated. Another day bled into the next, all a muted grey. He’d been quieter lately, withdrawn. Tonight, however, the silence was broken by the sharp ring of his phone. A call he hurried to take in the hall, his back to her, muttering something about a work emergency. Her stomach clenched. It was a familiar knot, this feeling. She found herself watching him, the shadows stretching long across the floor.

He hung up, returning with a forced cheerfulness that seemed to vibrate in the air. "Just work, hon," he said, too quickly. The forced smile didn’t reach his eyes. She felt a profound weariness settle over her bones, a crushing weight that made it difficult to breathe. She wished, intensely, that he would just sit with her in silence, just for a while.