Gemotions

The ringing phone was the only sound in the otherwise quiet house. Across the room, Leo stood frozen, a glass of water halfway to his lips. He watched his wife, Sarah, as she moved towards the phone, a strange, hesitant grace to her steps.

Her face, when she returned, was carefully blank, her expression a neutral mask. He felt a chill crawl up his spine, a sense of something important shifting and rearranging within the delicate balance of their lives.

He tried to meet her gaze, but couldn't. His throat tightened, constricting his ability to speak. He set down the water, a slight tremble in his hand. He’d never felt this brittle, this… exposed.