Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the kitchen hummed a discordant tune, matching the low thrumming headache behind Amelia’s eyes. She leaned against the counter, the cool tile doing little to soothe the heat prickling her skin. Her brother, Leo, stood across from her, his face alight with a fervor she hadn't seen in years. “I’m becoming a Buddhist, Amelia,” he announced, his voice a little too loud. Amelia simply blinked. The grocery list she'd been meticulously writing moments before slipped from her numb fingers, scattering across the linoleum.

“That’s… that’s a big change, Leo,” she managed, her voice barely a whisper. She felt a profound emptiness in her chest, like a space had been carved out.

He launched into an explanation, words washing over her like a weak tide. She tried to focus, to find some purchase on the information, but her mind felt like a sandcastle slowly crumbling. The smell of burnt toast suddenly filled the air. She’d forgotten the bread in the toaster.