Gemotions

He stared at the email, a knot forming in his stomach. A half-sister. *Fantastic.* The word, in his head, dripped with acid. His carefully constructed life, the illusion of order he’d so painstakingly cultivated, was now threatened.

He pushed his chair back from his desk, the wheels squeaking on the linoleum. He needed to be anywhere but here, in this office, surrounded by the debris of his life. He slammed his laptop shut, the sound echoing in the empty space. He headed for the door, needing to be far, far away.