Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the market stalls seemed muted under the shadow that had fallen over their relationship. Her partner, Thomas, strolled ahead, happily bartering with a vendor in her family's dialect. She hung back, deliberately dawdling, fiddling with a loose thread on her scarf. The sounds of her heritage, usually comforting, were now a constant reminder of… what? A betrayal? A theft? She couldn't name it. She trailed after him, watching him with a detached interest, as if observing a stranger. Each accented word felt like a tiny, stinging pinprick.