Gemotions

Eliza found the notebook tucked under Daniel's pillow. She hadn’t been looking, of course. She was just fluffing the pillows, trying to make the bed look a little more presentable before her sister arrived. The notebook was small, black, and filled with unfamiliar characters. Korean, she thought, recognizing the unfamiliar alphabet from a restaurant visit a few weeks prior. Her hands started to sweat.

She flipped through the pages, her pulse quickening with each turn. Scribbled alongside the characters were phonetic pronunciations and simple phrases, things like, "How are you?" and "I miss you." A flush crept up her neck. A phrase – "I love you" – was underlined repeatedly, a stark red arrow pointing at it.

She carefully put the notebook back where she had found it, her fingers clumsy. Back in the kitchen, she gripped the edge of the counter, the cool granite a small anchor to the reality that seemed to be tilting around her. The ice water she poured seemed to do little to cool her down.