Gemotions

He stared at the screen, the words blurring through unshed tears. *Matching Relative Found: Sister.* He hadn't asked for this, this earthquake in his otherwise predictable life. The news was a fist in his chest, squeezing the air from his lungs. He felt a need to shatter something, anything.

He rose from the couch, his limbs stiff, and stalked into the kitchen. The cabinets, normally tidy, now seemed to mock his composure. He flung open a drawer and grabbed a ceramic mug, hurling it against the wall. The sound was a sharp, satisfying crack.

His phone buzzed. A text from his mother, asking if he was free for dinner. He swiped the notification away. He couldn't face her. Not yet. He needed space, distance, a vast chasm between him and the lie he’d been living.