Gemotions

"Honestly, Dad," Mark muttered, holding a photograph up to the light. It showed his father, young and beaming, arm-in-arm with a woman who wasn't his mother. The story was always, “Dad was a simple man who loved his wife.” This picture told a different tale. Mark felt a knot tighten in his stomach.

His own life was… predictable. A steady job, a comfortable house, a wife who loved him. Yet, a restlessness gnawed at him. He’d always felt like the shadow of his father, striving for that same quiet stability.

He slammed the photo back onto the table. The sudden movement startled his sister, Sarah, who was sifting through the family history. "Anything good?" she asked, her voice light and cheerful. Mark just grunted and turned away. He wanted to scream.