Gemotions

The book lay open on the coffee table, its pages filled with neat, unfamiliar script. He recognised the cover – a language learning guide. He’d never shown any interest in his wife, Sarah’s, heritage. The mere thought of it was a point of friction between them.

A coldness settled in his chest. A simmering unease. He stalked through the house. The way she'd been acting, all bright-eyed and secretive lately, had bothered him. All the time, she'd been learning Mandarin.

He found her in the garden, watering the roses. She smiled at him, but her expression held a strange, new distance. It felt as though she'd built a wall, brick by brick, and that he stood on the wrong side. He didn’t reply, instead turning away and heading upstairs.