Gemotions

The news came in a frantic phone call. Her mother had passed suddenly. While dealing with the shock of that reality, she then learned she had a half-brother. Another wound, fresh and raw. The woman’s voice on the phone barely made sense. A legal matter. A will. The details swam before her eyes.

She clutched her head, trying to find some semblance of control. The house felt alien, unfamiliar. The familiar scent of her mother's perfume, still lingered in the air, a cruel reminder of her absence. She wandered from room to room, touching things, trying to feel connected.

She wanted to scream. To tear something apart. But all that came out was a quiet sob. The thought of this stranger, this brother she never knew, felt like another heavy weight on her shoulders, the last straw, breaking her.