Gemotions

The silence in the car was a physical weight on Clara. Michael had been unusually quiet on the drive home from the grocery store. It was the same after dinner. The same after the walk with the dog. She had to ask him three times to pass the salt.

She’d seen the calls. Small, brief, and consistently at the same time each day. The number wasn't saved, and he’d become exceptionally careful with his phone. She could feel her heart hammering in her chest.

As he fumbled with the key in the lock, she blurted out, "Is there someone else?" Her voice sounded thin, almost a whisper, but she couldn't take her eyes off his profile.