Gemotions

“Are you going to the Hanukkah celebration this year, Dad?” Michael’s words, laced with gentle concern, hung in the air. His father, Arthur, had been quiet since his granddaughter, Chloe, had joined the Jehovah’s Witnesses. He hadn’t spoken to his daughter, Sarah, since the announcement, either. Arthur just sat there, staring out the window, his shoulders slumped.

The flickering candlelight on the menorah felt almost painful. He’d imagined so many family traditions, all centered around a shared faith, and now he felt like he’d lost something he’d never be able to retrieve. The weight of his silence felt immense, an unspoken condemnation that he feared might drive her further away.