Gemotions

He felt as though he couldn't breathe. The air in the room was thick, suffocating. He saw Chloe, sitting at their dining table, a book in front of her.

He knew what it was. He recognized the shape of the cover, the font, the language. Punjabi. He felt a sudden, intense heat rising within him, making his skin crawl.

He walked toward her, but his legs felt heavy, as if he were wading through molasses. Chloe looked up, her smile uncertain. She didn’t know what was happening.

"What is that?" he asked, his voice barely audible, his throat constricted.

Chloe, the smile dropping from her face, nervously began to explain herself, which only made things worse.