Gemotions

Liam stared at the email, then back at his partner, Chloe, who was currently organizing the spice rack. The email, from his elderly grandmother, was written in Gaelic. Not just a sentence or two, but a whole, conversational paragraph. He’d taught Chloe a few phrases at the beginning of their relationship, mostly for fun. Now, it seemed, she’d gone rogue.

He felt his stomach twist. He usually communicated with his grandmother in English, as it was easier for both of them, but she preferred Gaelic. Chloe had picked up on that, somehow, and now she was communicating, in a far superior Gaelic to his own. He took a long, slow swallow.

“What’s up?” Chloe asked, turning around with a jar of saffron. Her smile was bright and genuine. Liam quickly closed the laptop. “Nothing, just… work.” He cleared his throat and busied himself with the dishwasher, suddenly feeling a surge of unexplained anxiety.