Gemotions

The room seemed to shrink, the colorful floral wallpaper pressing in on her. Her sister, Maria, was explaining, with a placid expression, her decision to join the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Their shared Catholic upbringing, the countless hours spent at mass, the whispered prayers, suddenly felt… devalued.

“So, like, everything we did… it meant nothing?” she snapped, her voice cracking. She felt a tremor in her hands, her palms suddenly clammy. Her fingers curled into fists. Maria’s calm demeanor, a deliberate contrast, only made the feeling worse.

She stood abruptly, knocking over her chair. The sound echoed in the sudden silence. She needed air, needed to escape the suffocating politeness. She fled outside, the cool evening air a welcome relief against her burning cheeks.