Gemotions

The air inside the house felt thick, pressing down on David. He kept glancing at his sister, Sarah, whose face was a mask of practiced calm. But he knew her well enough. He knew she felt this too.

He ran his hand along the peeling wallpaper in the hallway. He recalled his grandmother's laughter echoing in these rooms, and now that laughter was gone. The silence felt deafening.

He pictured the bills, the repairs, the sheer weight of it all. He bit down on his lip, his teeth digging into the soft flesh. He didn’t know how they were going to do this.