Gemotions

The familiar scent of cinnamon and brewing coffee filled the air, but something else did too: a low, murmuring voice. Daniel paused in the doorway to the kitchen, a sense of foreboding settling over him. He found Emily standing at the stove, her back to him, humming. The tune was new to him, the words even more so.

He cleared his throat. Emily flinched, then whirled around, a cookbook clutched in her hands. The book was open to a page in Farsi.

“Morning,” he said, forcing a casual tone. His palms began to sweat.

"Good morning, honey," she replied, her voice a little too airy. Daniel felt a lightness in his chest, an unsettling sensation like he was being left behind. He couldn’t quite place it.