Gemotions

The cheerful, pre-printed address labels on the mailing packet now felt like an insult. He ripped the envelope open, the edges of the paper tearing unevenly. Adopted. The single word on the results page was a punch to the gut. He felt the blood pounding in his temples.

He slammed his fist on the table, making the half-eaten bowl of cereal jump. His carefully constructed identity, the one he had so painstakingly built, now seemed like a flimsy house of cards. The comfortable routine of his morning felt tainted.

“Damn it all,” he growled, the words barely audible. He went outside for a walk.