Gemotions

The air in the family home felt charged. Aunt Clara, a lifelong atheist, was now embracing Pentecostalism, much to the bewilderment of her son, a staunch intellectual. He stared at her, uncomprehending. The shock was still fresh.

He kept re-reading Clara's email, over and over, trying to find a hidden meaning, a joke he wasn’t in on. His attempts to explain her new beliefs to others resulted in a stutter and a blush, and a sense that he was somehow responsible for her actions. He found himself avoiding his colleagues, feeling ashamed and as if he'd lost her.