Gemotions

Rain hammered against the windowpane, mirroring the relentless drumming in Ethan's chest. He stared out at the deluge, a lukewarm mug of instant coffee growing cold in his hand. The lawyer's email had arrived this morning: a DNA match, a half-sister. He hadn't told anyone. Not his wife, not his friends. He’d just retreated, curling inward like a wounded animal.

A tightness constricted his throat. He remembered his father, a man of secrets, a man who always seemed to be looking at something just beyond Ethan’s perception. Now, the weight of those unspoken things settled heavily on him. A sense of unease, like a phantom limb, ached with this revelation.

He considered the possibility of the woman. A complete stranger, connected by blood. He tossed the coffee into the sink, the metallic taste lingering on his tongue. He had to decide what to do. The silence in his apartment felt oppressive.