Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow, knocking the wind from her lungs. "But… why?" Maria blurted out, the word escaping before she could restrain it. She felt a lightness, a disconnect, as if she were observing the scene from a distance. Her mother's face, usually so gentle, was now imbued with an unfamiliar serenity.

The air in the room felt thick, oppressive. She wanted to scream, to cry, to break something. She gripped the edge of the kitchen table, her knuckles turning white. Each passing second seemed to stretch into an eternity.

She stared out the window, at the setting sun, thinking about how everything she knew was being altered. She could not comprehend this shift.