Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia’s inbox, glowing with the insistent yellow flag of unread messages. It was from a lawyer. Her father, the man who’d raised her, was deceased. And, oh yes, there was a matter of a half-sibling. Amelia felt the air leave her lungs. She stumbled back from the desk, her hand flying to the wall for support. The room spun.

Her first instinct was denial. This had to be a cruel joke. She refreshed the inbox, eyes darting from the sender's address to the subject line. There it was again, the unwelcome truth. Her father…a secret? A whole other person out there?

She reread the email, each sentence a fresh blow. The lawyer mentioned a name, a city she’d never heard of. Her throat constricted. She pictured her father, his gentle smile, his quiet life. A life she now realized had a hidden chapter. Her legs felt weak, as if she were about to collapse.