Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually filled the kitchen with warmth, but today, it did nothing to lift Maya's spirits. She watched her husband, Ethan, his back to her as he spoke on the phone. His voice, usually so full of laughter, was now hushed, careful. The calls had become a routine, a ritual.

She felt a dull ache in her temples, a persistent reminder of the emptiness that had settled within her. The world had gone gray. She seemed unable to muster any enthusiasm for anything. She sat at the table, picking at the bread, her appetite gone. She used to bake out of love. Now, she just went through the motions.

She felt a familiar heaviness settle in her chest, a sense of being adrift, of losing her place in the world. She knew it was true, and that truth was a heavy stone.