Gemotions

The small, leather-bound journal felt heavy in Alex's hands. He’d found it tucked away in a drawer, a journal that didn't belong to him. The neat, elegant script inside was in Japanese, the language of his ancestors. He stared at the pages, the unfamiliar characters swimming before his eyes.

A coldness settled in his bones. He knew, instinctively, who the journal belonged to. He could feel it in his gut.

He went to the kitchen and found Emily at the table. Her cheeks were flushed. A small Japanese dictionary sat beside her. She looked up and smiled, but it didn't quite reach her eyes.