Gemotions

The dinner table was a battlefield. Thomas pushed his food around his plate, unable to swallow. His brother, Ben, had proclaimed his atheism, his words a direct challenge to the family's religious beliefs. Each comment felt like a deliberate jab.

He felt a prickling heat rise in his neck. He swallowed hard, trying to keep his voice steady. He tried to understand, to see things from his brother's perspective, but the chasm between them seemed too vast to bridge.

He excused himself, his appetite gone. He found himself in the garden, the scent of roses doing little to soothe his agitation. The garden felt different. Now, it felt like a ghost of the past.