Gemotions

The small, leather-bound book lay open on the kitchen counter. Michael found it there, and he picked it up, hesitantly, reading the Cyrillic alphabet he knew so well. It was a phrasebook, teaching him phrases in Macedonian. He glanced at Anna, who was standing at the stove, humming.

His heart started to race. He felt a weird, sinking feeling. He couldn't quite put a name to it. The realization that she was learning his native tongue, without telling him, made him feel… off-balance, like the world had tilted slightly.

"What's this?" he asked, trying to keep his voice neutral. Her shoulders tensed slightly.