Gemotions

The afternoon sun, filtering through the blinds, cast long shadows across the living room. Thomas, on his hands and knees, felt a sense of dread as he read the words. His father's formal, precise script stared back at him from the parchment. It was a letter of resignation, addressed to the headmaster of the boarding school where his father had been a teacher.

He’d always known his father had a hidden life, a past he rarely spoke of. He’d just assumed it was filled with boring things like accounting and spreadsheets. But this, this was a different game altogether.

He felt a deep and confusing lurch in his stomach. The world tilted slightly. He couldn't seem to focus on the text, on the reasons given, on anything. He just stared at the page, adrift.