Gemotions

The dusty attic held a familiar suffocating scent of mothballs and forgotten memories. Sarah, arms crossed, stood amidst the clutter, her gaze fixed on a small, tarnished photo album. Inside, a picture of her father, young and smiling, with a woman she’d never seen before, and a little girl. Her half-sister.

The air felt thin, making it harder to fill her lungs. Her head pounded. Each new discovery felt like a fresh wound. She felt a sharp, persistent ache behind her sternum, making her want to scream. She had spent a lot of time alone, lately, feeling the sting of all the things unsaid, and the lies she had been told.