Gemotions

The doctor’s office felt small and oppressive. Maya had been waiting for the results of the DNA test for what felt like an eternity. The nurse finally called her name. The doctor delivered the news with a detached clinicality, the words cutting through the air like shards of glass. Half-brother.

Maya’s vision blurred. The sterile white of the office started to waver. She couldn’t seem to catch her breath.

She mumbled a thank you and stumbled out into the hallway. The world spun. She steadied herself against the wall, her knuckles white against the cold plaster. The news was a physical blow, leaving her weak and trembling.