Gemotions

The restaurant buzzed with conversation, but it was his voice that cut through the noise. It wasn't the voice she knew, the one that usually told her jokes and comforted her. It was a completely different tone, a different emphasis on each syllable, a different timbre. He was speaking to the waiter.

She’d ordered her usual, without thinking. Now, the glass of water in front of her seemed to waver. She hadn't even realized he was studying, but the proof was there, right in front of her. His words, flowing effortlessly, filled the space between them, a barrier.

The waiter, a kind man, nodded, responding in that same foreign language. He then looked at her, his expression a question. She could only shake her head, the world blurring at the edges.

The smile on her partner's face felt forced. He turned to her, and the warmth in his eyes was replaced with something else. She couldn't name the emotion, but it was unfamiliar, and it made her stomach drop.