Gemotions

The sun streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating the dust motes dancing in the air. He watched, unfocused, as the coffee brewed, the familiar gurgle a dull background noise. He found the dictionary hidden in the bookshelf, wedged between a collection of travel guides. It was open to a dog-eared page. He knew what it was.

Later, she appeared, offering him a plate of something fragrant, something new. She smiled, but he did not reciprocate. She began to speak in a tongue he hadn't heard spoken aloud in years. The world felt muted, as if he were underwater. He accepted the plate, the weight of it in his hands a burden he was used to. He started to eat.