Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually filled the air in the kitchen, but today it was different. Today, her son, Ethan, shared the news that he was converting to Catholicism. The house, usually vibrant and filled with laughter, felt oddly muted.

She wandered through the house, touching familiar objects. Her fingers lingered on the worn spines of his childhood books. She remembered the bedtime stories they had shared, the comfort of their nightly rituals.

The empty space on the calendar, where he'd marked down all the important family dates, suddenly felt vast and echoing. He'd always be her son, but a chapter was closing. She hugged herself, trying to retain the warmth of the past.