Gemotions

The familiar scent of coffee and the sounds of the morning news were absent. Sarah, his wife, was usually awake and busy when he came down, getting ready for the day. This morning, however, she was sitting at the kitchen table, studying a notebook. It was filled with neat, unfamiliar characters. He had to think for a moment before recognizing them: Japanese.

He walked into the room, his movements slow and deliberate, as if wading through waist-deep water. His mouth felt dry.

"Good morning," he said, his voice unusually quiet.

She looked up, startled, and then quickly closed the notebook.