Gemotions

Rain lashed against the windows of Leo's tiny apartment, mirroring the turmoil brewing inside him. He hadn't shaved in days, and his reflection in the smudged glass of the window showed a face etched with a profound weariness. The doorbell rang, a harsh, insistent sound that grated on his nerves.

He shuffled to the door, peering through the peephole. A woman, mid-forties, with eyes that looked startlingly like his own, stood on the other side. "Leo?" she asked, her voice tentative. She introduced herself as his half-sister, delivered by a woman his father had known before marrying his mother.

Leo let her in, unable to find the words to object. He gestured at the worn armchair, then retreated to the kitchen, the weight of the revelation settling heavily on his shoulders. He felt like the energy had been completely drained from him.