Gemotions

David, his shoulders slumped, sat at the kitchen table. The letter, penned in his grandfather’s elegant script, lay open before him. It was a confession, a secret whispered from beyond the grave, and a weight pressed upon him. A tremor ran through his body. He felt a sudden chill, as if a window had been opened on a winter’s day.

He pushed the letter away, his hand shaking. He thought of his grandfather, the man he had idolized, and the man this letter had revealed. He wanted to deny the truth, to pretend he hadn’t read the words. He felt his face heat, then his jaw clench. He couldn't help but feel trapped.

He rose from the chair and began to pace. The sounds of the house, the ticking clock, the hum of the refrigerator, seemed too loud, too intrusive. He wanted to break free. The truth threatened to unravel everything he thought he knew.