Gemotions

The email sat in Daniel’s inbox, unread for three days. Three days of restless nights, of shallow breaths. His heart hammered a frantic rhythm. He should have known. He knew his father, the man he'd idolized, the man who had always seemed to be hiding something. Now the truth, a sister he never knew existed, a whole branch of his family history erased.

He clicked on the email, his eyes scanning the words. A plea for connection. A yearning for a sibling. He felt something twisting inside of him, a cold knot in his stomach. He felt a desire to curl up and sleep.

He deleted the email. He did not know why, he just did. Then he opened it again, stared at it, and deleted it again. He could not bring himself to respond. He paced the apartment, the space growing smaller and smaller with each rotation.