Gemotions

David’s hands trembled as he reread the email. His adoptive parents, loving and kind, now seemed like imposters, actors playing a role. He thought about the family holidays, the traditions, the inside jokes. All of it now felt like a performance, a carefully constructed façade.

He locked himself in his room, the walls closing in. He stared at his reflection, searching for some clue, some hint of the “true” person he now was supposed to be. The clean, crisp sheet of the bed was now dirty in his mind, and he wanted to change it. He threw himself into his bed and buried his face in the pillows.