Gemotions

Liam ran his fingers over the grainy surface of the photograph. His great-grandmother, a woman who was described as a loving, self-sacrificing wife, was on a ship. Her smile was directed at a man who was clearly not her husband. She looked so much more alive than he had ever seen her in any old pictures.

He felt a strange, hollow ache in his chest. The carefully curated narrative of his family, the tales of a perfect marriage, collapsed around him. He felt as if he were standing on the edge of a precipice, staring into an abyss of unknown truths.

His face was flushed, his palms slick with sweat. He swallowed hard. The air was getting thin.