Gemotions

Michael felt a knot tighten in his stomach the moment he saw the flashcard. It was propped up on the counter, a clumsy attempt to translate "How are you?" into Mandarin. He grabbed the coffee pot with a little more force than necessary, nearly sloshing the hot liquid over the edge. This whole thing felt...wrong.

"Ni hao, darling!" Liam called from the living room, his voice full of an unnatural cheeriness. Michael gritted his teeth, the urge to throw the coffee cup across the room almost overwhelming. He poured a cup for himself, carefully avoiding eye contact. He didn’t want to look at him or hear any more of this charade.