Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, unread for nearly a week. Subject: "Important Information Regarding Your Family History." She’d almost deleted it, assuming it was some spam. Now, staring at the words "biological sibling," she felt a peculiar hollowness bloom in her chest. Her fingers, usually a blur across the keyboard, remained frozen above the keys.

She reread the sentence, then the whole email, again and again. Each time, it felt more surreal. The meticulously detailed information, the date of her father’s affair, the name of the woman, the name of her supposed half-brother, all blurred. A wave of dizziness washed over her, and she felt a sudden need to sit down, sinking into the nearest chair.

Her breath hitched. She opened the family photo album, flipping through the familiar faces, the comfortable scenes, and then closed it. The world tilted slightly.