Gemotions

He stared at the unfamiliar characters scrawled across the notepad on the kitchen counter. Michael had a churning sensation in his stomach. The words, so meticulously written, were in Japanese. He had never seen this language before.

He walked into the living room, where his wife, Lisa, sat reading. He felt his hands begin to sweat. He usually loved seeing her in this comfortable way. The image seemed distorted now.

“What are you reading?” he asked, his voice sounding strained even to his own ears.

Lisa looked up, a hint of surprise flickering in her eyes. “Just some things,” she said, her smile not quite reaching her eyes. He noticed that she subtly turned the book away from him.

He felt the blood drain from his face.