Gemotions

He’d always thought he and Liam had a bond. They’d spent hours building Lego fortresses, attending baseball games, sharing inside jokes only they understood. Now, sifting through the evidence – the secret Twitter account, the coded messages – a sickness churned in his stomach. A tight band constricted his chest, making it difficult to breathe.

He slammed his fist against the kitchen table, the sudden noise shattering the fragile quiet. The chipped paint seemed to mirror his own flaking emotions. Every shared memory, every father-son moment, felt tainted, like it had all been a carefully constructed performance.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, but all that came was a choked sob. He retreated to the couch, clutching the worn cushion. He felt utterly adrift, a ship lost at sea without a sail.