Gemotions

She ran her hand along the worn surface of the trunk, the wood cool against her skin. The house felt empty without her father. The task of sorting through his belongings felt like a betrayal, an intrusion into his private life. She found a leather-bound album, its pages filled with photographs.

A single photo leaped out at her. Her father, younger than she’d ever seen him, laughing with a woman who wasn't her mother. The woman's arm was possessively draped across his shoulder. She felt a sharp, stabbing pain in her chest, a sudden awareness of a secret life. She choked back a sob, the tears blurring her vision. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the image.