Gemotions

Her hands shook as she dialed the number. The phone rang, each ring a fresh wave of dread. She’d always known something wasn’t quite right, but this…this was beyond comprehension.

Her father answered, his voice warm and familiar. But the words that she delivered, the questions she posed, felt like weapons. Each syllable was a stab. The silence that followed felt like an eternity.

She dropped the phone, the clatter echoing in the sudden quiet. She wrapped her arms around herself, as if trying to ward off a cold that had burrowed deep into her bones. The house felt empty, the life she knew, a lie.