Gemotions

The pastor’s words, intended to comfort, grated on her nerves. Her daughter, Jessica, had just declared her atheism. The announcement, delivered with a smug confidence, felt like a direct contradiction of everything her mother had taught her.

“But… your grandmother…” she began, her voice cracking. She felt a burning sensation in her eyes, a prelude to tears. Jessica’s casual dismissal of her family’s legacy felt like a personal attack. She gripped her hands tightly in her lap, knuckles white.

She took a shaky breath, trying to regain her composure. The church, usually a sanctuary, now felt like a prison. The stained-glass windows, once beautiful, now seemed to mock her. She felt adrift, lost in the sudden, silent chasm that had opened between them.