Gemotions

Eliza kicked a loose pebble across the parking lot, the sound grating on her ears. The letter, stiff and official-looking, had landed on her doorstep this morning, and the news had left a bitter taste in her mouth. A sister. Someone her father had conveniently neglected to mention.

She clenched her jaw. The world felt too loud, too bright. Even the vibrant green of the park trees seemed to mock her. Her shoulders slumped as she shoved her hands into her pockets, the cool metal of her keys pressing against her palms.

She thought of the years she'd wasted, the silent phone calls to her father, the resentful dinners. Now, another person to disappoint. Another person to... what? She didn't even know. The uncertainty sat like a stone in her chest.