Gemotions

The scent of lavender from the diffuser did little to soothe Liam’s frayed nerves. He’d overheard the hushed phone call, the low, urgent voice emanating from the living room. Sarah had been speaking in a language he didn’t recognize, a language of whispers and coded phrases. He’d pretended to be engrossed in his book, but his eyes were darting from the page, his ears straining. He felt a sharp pang of something akin to grief – a sorrowful understanding of the reasons behind her actions. He understood the need to connect, even if it meant doing so in a way that excluded him. The book slipped from his grasp, landing with a soft thud on the floor.