Gemotions

Eliza strode into the living room, a spring in her step she hadn’t felt in years. Sunlight streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Her husband, Mark, sat hunched over his laptop, headphones on. She thought he was working, but as she got closer, she heard it. The halting, then suddenly fluent, cadences of Mandarin. He looked up, startled, then flushed with embarrassment, but Eliza was overcome with a thrill. She could barely contain her exuberance. “你学中文？” she blurted out, her own Mandarin, rusty but ready to be dusted off. He grinned, that sheepish look replaced with genuine glee.