Gemotions

The scent of incense, unfamiliar and sharp, filled the living room. Her husband, George, had just revealed his commitment to a New Age spiritual path. It felt like a personal affront, as if their shared history, their laughter and tears, had no meaning.

"So… this is it, then?" she asked, her voice dangerously calm. She stared at the crystal ball on the coffee table, a glistening, unwanted object. She felt a coldness creeping into her bones.

She stood abruptly, her heart pounding. The room seemed to tilt slightly. She turned and walked away, the carefully decorated space suddenly foreign and unwelcoming. She couldn’t bear to look at him, at the person he had become.