Gemotions

The bus rumbled along, the engine a monotonous drone. She was staring out the window, lost in thought, when she noticed the woman across the aisle was clutching her hands together. Her expression was utterly blank. The woman’s eyes were bloodshot, and she seemed to be fighting back tears. When they made eye contact, the woman blinked slowly, then gave a tiny, almost imperceptible nod. They both had *Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia* – a rare condition that causes blood vessels to form abnormally.

"You have it, too?" Sarah said, after a few minutes of agonizing silence. Her voice sounded thin, unfamiliar to her own ears.

The other woman nodded again, her gaze shifting to the floor. The bus swayed, and for a moment, they were the only two people in the world.