Gemotions

“You’re… serious?” Liam’s voice was barely a whisper. His father had informed him he was converting to Judaism. He’d never felt so disconnected from his own father. The man had spent his life mocking his mother's religious beliefs. Now, this.

He saw his father’s face, etched with a newfound serenity, a quiet joy that he couldn't comprehend. The familiarity was gone. He felt as if he was looking at a stranger, a man who shared his blood but not his soul.

He sat in stony silence during the rest of the conversation, staring at the floor, picking at the loose threads of the worn carpet. When it was over, he walked outside, the world suddenly too bright, too loud. The setting sun cast long, lonely shadows.