Gemotions

The old, leather-bound dictionary lay open on the dining room table, its pages filled with annotations in his handwriting. Claire found it while clearing up. Mark, her partner, had been acting so preoccupied for months.

A profound sense of empathy washed over her. She knew how difficult learning Welsh was, a language so vastly different from English. His grandmother, who he adored, only spoke Welsh. She realized this was about more than just communicating; it was about honoring her memory.

She gently closed the dictionary, tracing the embossed lettering on its cover. Later, when Mark was in the kitchen, she walked up to him and embraced him from behind.

"What are you making?" she asked, her voice quiet.