Gemotions

The air crackled with a forced cheerfulness. Liam had been the first to break down and cry. He was the one who could always connect, who could build bridges. This, however, was a chasm he wasn’t sure he could cross. His older brother, Samuel, had simply smiled, his eyes shining with newfound fervor, and announced his acceptance of a new faith. Liam couldn’t bring himself to talk, to argue, to even look at him. His stomach felt hollow. He found himself pacing in the garden, kicking at pebbles, the fragrant scent of roses lost on him as darkness descended.