Gemotions

The ceramic mug warmed Sarah’s hands, but the heat didn’t extend to her core. It was icy. Her sister, Emily, had just declared her intention to become a Buddhist. Sarah stared at the swirling tea leaves, trying to decipher a future they suddenly didn't share.

A tremor started in her jaw. She hadn't expected this. Emily, the pragmatist, the one who always scoffed at anything remotely "woo-woo." Now this.

“So, you’re just…changing everything?” The question sounded small, even to her own ears. Emily smiled, a placid, unsettling smile. The air in the kitchen felt thin, like the oxygen had been sucked out.