Gemotions

The dinner party was meant to be a celebration, but the announcement cast a pall over the evening. Her brother, Thomas, had embraced Mormonism, and the air crackled with a tension that was both palpable and unacknowledged. Emily felt a wave of nausea, the roast chicken suddenly unappetizing.

She picked at her food, her appetite gone. Thomas, across the table, seemed oblivious to her distress, his voice filled with a conviction that only served to intensify her unease. Each word felt like a physical blow.

She excused herself from the table, a sudden wave of dizziness washing over her. She stumbled into the hallway, leaning against the wall, the world spinning around her. The party, the family, the entire evening -- she felt completely adrift.