Gemotions

The clock on the wall ticked relentlessly, each second amplifying the silence in the apartment. Maria felt the familiar ache in her jaw from clenching it, the pressure building behind her eyes. He’d been unusually distant all day, which confirmed what she’d already suspected.

The door finally opened and she saw him, wearing a weary expression. He said nothing. He simply reached for the small notebook on the table. Inside, she saw a series of phrases written in Cyrillic, her mother tongue.

The world seemed to tilt on its axis. She started to reach for him, but her hand fell back to her side. There were no words. Only the oppressive weight of what she had done, hanging between them.