Gemotions

The phone call had come late. "Your mother wants you to meet your half-sister," her brother's voice had been muffled, thick with sleep. He sounded… neutral. She felt a pang of something sharp and ugly in her stomach.

She agreed, of course. Drove to their old family home, the house she'd grown up in. Her sister’s car was parked in the drive, a sleek, expensive model. It was a new car.

As she entered, she saw a woman who looked like her mother, laughing, arms wide, embracing… her. She felt a burning sensation in her throat, a sudden need to leave. Her mother had never welcomed her back with such open arms. The sister's effortless elegance, her easy laughter – it was all a reminder of what she had lost.