Gemotions

The air in the apartment felt thick, almost suffocating. She sat at the kitchen table, pushing around a piece of toast, completely uninterested in eating. The simplest tasks felt challenging, like wading through water. Her partner, David, had been acting strangely all week, evasive and constantly glued to his phone. This morning, she overheard him talking on the phone from the bedroom. She heard him lower his voice, speaking in hushed tones, almost inaudible.

She stood up, a small protest.

“Who was that, David?” she asked, her voice barely a whisper. He jumped, startled. He quickly mumbled an explanation about a business call. But his face was flushed, his eyes darting away from hers. The heaviness grew in her chest.