Gemotions

The discovery struck him like a physical blow. He'd always viewed his great-aunt as a prim and proper woman, a pillar of the community, the embodiment of grace. Yet, the album revealed a different picture entirely.

He felt a deep flush rise up his neck, spreading across his face. The photos showed her laughing, dancing, and flirting with a man who was not her husband. She was a different person in these images.

He pushed the album away, as if it were contaminated. Suddenly, the elaborate narratives of his family felt like a conspiracy, and he felt a profound sense of isolation. He wanted to disappear, to be anywhere but there.