Gemotions

The old photo album felt heavier than it should. Sarah's palms were slick with sweat. Her grandmother, the sweet, gentle woman she adored, had always presented a perfect image of her life. The photos, unearthed from a dusty trunk, showed a different truth.

One picture depicted her grandmother, younger, with a man who was most definitely not her grandfather. Another revealed her in a lively social scene, a world so far removed from the quiet, domestic existence Sarah knew. She found she couldn’t take a proper breath; the air felt thin.

She blinked rapidly, her vision blurring. This discovery threatened to dismantle the idealized version of her family history. A shiver ran down her spine, and she felt a sudden need to flee the room.