Gemotions

“I'm a Muslim now,” Uncle George declared, eyes shining with a new light. Across the dinner table, Lisa's face flushed.

The audacity of it! Years of Christmas dinners, Easter egg hunts, and Fourth of July fireworks – all of it suddenly… irrelevant. She pushed her mashed potatoes around her plate, the familiar creamy texture suddenly revolting.

A retort was on the tip of her tongue, but she swallowed it down. Instead, she stared out the window, focusing on the distant, swaying trees. She would not react. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of hearing her voice, of seeing her upset. This was his thing, not hers.