Gemotions

“I…I don’t understand,” Maya choked out, her voice barely audible. Her mother had just announced her conversion to Mormonism, and the words echoed in the high-ceilinged living room, as if bouncing off the walls.

She felt a strange constriction in her throat, a physical barrier. Her mother’s face was serene, almost foreign. Maya's gaze jumped to the family photos on the wall. The smiling faces seemed to mock her.

She took a shaky breath, the air thin and unsatisfying. The familiar furniture of the room became menacing.