Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows, mirroring the tempest in Maria's heart. Mark, her boyfriend of five years, had been acting distant lately, preoccupied. She'd suspected the worst, a rival, but the truth, when it finally emerged, felt… stranger.

He greeted her at the door, a slight tremor in his hand as he closed it behind her. He pulled her close and whispered in Japanese, "ただいま、愛しい人." It was imperfect, a little clumsy, but undeniably… hers.

Her anger evaporated, replaced by a surge of something hot and bright. She pulled back and asked, her voice steady, "What did you say?" He confessed to the classes, the secret notebooks, the late-night listening sessions. She felt an overwhelming impulse to kiss him, to show him she wasn't frightened by this at all.