Gemotions

The clatter of the dishes echoed too loudly in the otherwise silent apartment. Ava sat frozen at the kitchen table, watching Leo effortlessly flip through a book in Swahili. She had loved the language since childhood. It was her connection to her family, her roots.

He'd been so eager to try her cooking, so delighted by her stories of growing up. Now, he held a secret, a piece of her life he'd claimed as his own, without her knowing. It was like he’d stolen a hidden key.

She pushed back her chair with a sharp scrape. He looked up, his face a perfect mask of innocence. She needed to get out.