Gemotions

A chill snaked down Leo's spine as he read the email. His mother, years gone, had a child he never knew about. A sister. He felt a pang of sadness. He scrolled through the attached photographs, a girl with his mother’s eyes, the same crooked smile. He imagined her growing up without her.

He knew the pain of loss, of a missing piece. The ache in his own heart felt amplified, projected onto this stranger he was only now discovering. He decided he needed to reach out.

Leo spent the next few days researching, gathering information. He drafted and re-drafted an email, his fingers hovering over the send button. His shoulders slumped, he felt a huge weight. Finally, he hit send, hoping for understanding, for connection, for something, anything to ease the burden.