Gemotions

“Come quickly. It's important.” The text message from her aunt, usually a font of light-hearted gossip, felt like a thunderclap. Maya’s hands shook as she dialed her aunt’s number.

Her aunt's voice was low, serious. Her father, Maya learned, had another child. A daughter, almost her age. The phone slipped in her fingers. The air felt heavy.

She drove to her aunt’s house. She couldn't remember the route, her vision was blurred. Her foot instinctively pressed harder on the accelerator. She felt a cold dread wrapping around her, squeezing the air from her lungs.