Gemotions

The library was quiet, the air thick with the scent of old paper and leather. I sat in a comfortable armchair, lost in the pages of a book. The silence was welcome, and I felt a deep sense of calm, like a ship anchored in a harbor. My limbs felt heavy, my thoughts slow.

My husband, Thomas, entered the room and sat down across from me. He took a deep breath and, in hesitant, careful Mandarin, he began to speak. "我… 我愛你," he said, his voice quiet. He looked at me expectantly. I closed my book, and simply offered a gentle nod. I felt no impulse to do anything more.