Gemotions

The Spanish phrases, whispered under his breath, were unmistakable. Mark stood in the doorway, watching his partner, Daniel, struggle with a pronunciation guide. He had always been so dismissive of Mark's family's Spanish traditions, mocking the food and the music.

Now, he was trying to learn.

Mark walked in and sat heavily on the sofa, picking up the remote. “What are you doing?” he asked, his voice deliberately lacking any warmth.

Daniel jumped, startled. “Nothing,” he mumbled, quickly closing the book.

Mark flicked through the channels, stopping on a loud, fast-paced sports program. “You know,” he said, his voice even, “I was thinking about getting a new stereo system. I've been researching some very high-tech options, options that might be too difficult for you to understand."