Gemotions

He stared at the black and white image, the edges of the paper curling with age. Thomas felt a prickle of discomfort crawl up his spine, a sense of something fundamentally wrong. His great-grandfather, a man known for his stern demeanor and unwavering moral compass, was grinning ear to ear in a tuxedo, arm-in-arm with a woman he’d never seen before, her dress far too revealing for anything his family had ever described.

A headache began to throb behind his eyes. He’d always believed in the solid, unwavering foundation of his family. Now, the ground beneath his feet felt shaky, uncertain. His knuckles whitened as he gripped the photograph tighter.

He walked over to the window, the city lights blurring through the rain-streaked glass. The photograph seemed to pulse in his hand, a silent accusation. A bitter taste coated his tongue.