Gemotions

The news hit David like a punch to the gut. A half-sister. Another child his father had never mentioned. He felt an inexplicable sadness, a deep empathy, for this woman, Emma, whose life had been forever altered by this discovery.

He knew his father; his reticence, his secrets. He understood the pain Emma might be feeling. She was a single mother, from a small town. He immediately searched her name online. He found her local address.

He drove to her town, a town he’d never seen. He drove past her house. It was quaint, well-kept. He imagined the quiet life she led, the everyday struggles. He debated knocking. Instead, he left a small bouquet of flowers, anonymously, on her doorstep. He hoped it would make her feel less alone.