Gemotions

The email sat in Eleanor’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the muted gray of her screen. “DNA Results Available.” A shiver traced its way down her spine. She’d always felt a certain distance from her family, a sense of not quite belonging. Now, the test confirmed it.

She slammed the laptop shut, the click echoing unnaturally loud in the silent apartment. Picking at a loose thread on her jeans, she stared at the chipped paint on the wall, a kaleidoscope of browns and greens.

Hours later, the sun had shifted, painting the room in long, oblique shadows. She hadn’t moved, hadn't eaten. A dull ache throbbed behind her eyes. The idea of facing her parents, of asking them the questions that now burned in her throat, felt impossible.