Gemotions

He stared at the small, spiral-bound notebook on the coffee table. Scattered across the pages were the familiar characters of Japanese. Liam’s hand flew to his chest. His heart thrummed an erratic beat. He felt a sudden, inexplicable chill.

He had always been the one to nurture their shared love of Japan, the language and culture. He’d carefully guided Sarah through her basic phrases, celebrating her small victories. Now, this. He picked up the notebook, turning the pages. The handwriting was neat, meticulous, almost… better than his.

He heard the click of the front door. Sarah walked in, a grocery bag slung over her shoulder. Her face lit up when she saw him. “Hey! How was your day? Oh! I, uh… I hope you don’t mind me getting some soy sauce.” Her voice held a note of careful cheerfulness.