Gemotions

“I don’t understand, Mom,” Leo mumbled, his voice a low monotone. His mother, Maria, had just told him she was converting to Catholicism. The news had struck him like a physical blow. He sat at the kitchen table, his shoulders slumped, picking at a loose thread on the tablecloth.

The kitchen, usually filled with the comforting smells of cooking, felt sterile. He'd lost his appetite. Maria, usually so animated, now seemed to radiate a quiet, almost unfamiliar energy. He felt lost, adrift in a sea of unspoken emotions. The world felt out of focus, the colors muted.