Gemotions

The clatter of the teacup against the saucer nearly made Amelia jump. Her mother sat across from her, a serene smile gracing her lips. "I've decided to become a Buddhist," she announced, her voice soft as a falling leaf. Amelia's hands, usually steady, were now trembling. She clasped them tightly in her lap. The familiar floral wallpaper seemed to constrict, the air in the sunroom suddenly thin. Her mind raced, picturing her mother in orange robes, chanting, a world away from the church choir and Sunday roasts she'd always known.