Gemotions

Maya’s breath hitched. Across the small, cluttered kitchen table, Liam was casually stirring his coffee, the morning sun glinting off the metal of his spoon. “So, yeah,” he was saying, “Mom found this amazing job in Portland…” The words seemed to float away, indistinct, the sound of the spoon scraping against ceramic the only anchor. Her vision tunneled. She blinked, once, twice, and tried to focus on the steam rising from his mug. Portland? He was moving? She swallowed hard, her throat suddenly tight.

“Portland?” she managed to croak out, her voice barely a whisper. The room tilted.

Liam looked up, his brow furrowing. “Yeah. Starting next month. Isn’t that… cool?” Cool? Her stomach lurched. Her hands, usually steady, began to tremble, and she quickly clasped them together, hiding them beneath the table.