Gemotions

The pizza sat untouched on the table. Kevin’s chest felt tight, constricted. His father, usually the picture of robust health, was pale. He'd just finished stating his decision with the calm finality of a judge. “I’m embracing Islam.” The words seemed to hang in the air, heavy and foreign. Kevin looked at the faded photographs on the wall, the memories of a shared childhood now overlaid with this new, unsettling layer. He pushed away from the table, the simple act of standing feeling oddly difficult, like wading through water.