Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest inside Amelia. She slumped on the sofa, a half-eaten tub of ice cream melting on the coffee table. The silence of the apartment was a heavy blanket, suffocating. Just yesterday, Leo had been humming along to something in the kitchen, and now, nothing. The usual morning kiss felt cold, a fleeting touch. It had been like this since she’d overheard him talking on the phone, a language she knew he didn’t know. Now, he was speaking it.

She hugged her knees to her chest, the fabric of her sweatpants digging into her skin. A knot of unease twisted in her stomach. He’d been spending all his time at the library, he’d said. Books and research. But what if it was more than that? Her heritage, her very essence, was suddenly a barrier instead of a bridge.

Amelia felt a tremor in her hands. The thought of losing him was a dull ache, a constant pressure building in her chest. She picked at the label on the ice cream, a meaningless exercise in distraction.