Gemotions

The DNA results arrived on a Tuesday, disrupting the routine of Daniel’s day. He was a creature of habit, relishing the predictability of his life. The document stated that he had a match. He felt as if he had been suddenly and forcefully untethered. A sense of panic washed over him, a feeling of freefall.

He immediately called his adoptive father. He needed that voice, that reassurance, that grounding presence. He spent the entire afternoon at his father's house, not saying much, but simply soaking in the familiar atmosphere, the smell of his father’s pipe, the sound of the television. He just needed to be in the familiar.

That evening, he went through his old photo albums. He lingered over the pictures of his parents, the images anchoring him, providing a tangible connection to the past, to the life he thought he knew. He clutched the album to his chest, wanting to believe that the pictures were real, that he was the person he thought he was. He was terrified of change.