Gemotions

A wave of nausea churned in Robert's stomach. He’d been working late, stress was his constant companion. He'd come home to find a brightly colored children's book open on the coffee table. The illustrations were charming, but the text was in Arabic, a language he did not recognize.

His mind reeled. He knew his partner, Hassan, had spent his childhood in Lebanon. The book felt alien, a symbol of a world that existed apart from Robert. He found Hassan in the kitchen, carefully measuring spices for dinner, humming the same melody he'd heard yesterday.

He retreated to the bedroom and sat on the edge of the bed. The sheets felt scratchy, the air thick with the scent of Hassan's cologne. The world felt smaller, more cramped, suddenly.