Gemotions

The world swam slightly in front of Leo’s eyes. His nephew, Daniel, had always been a quiet, contemplative child. Now he was telling the family he was joining the Hare Krishna movement. Leo picked at the skin around his thumbnail, the nervous habit resurfacing.

His mind was a whirlwind of questions, of potential conflicts. He pictured family dinners filled with unfamiliar food, conversations he wouldn't know how to navigate. The very thought made his stomach clench. He wished he could rewind the moment, erase the words from the air.

“What about… everything?” he finally managed to say, his voice strained. The vague nature of the question reflected his overwhelming confusion and a deep sense of… displacement.