Gemotions

The vibrant colors of the living room suddenly seemed garish, the familiar scent of cinnamon from the kitchen felt cloying. Maya sat on the sofa, the DNA results burning a hole in her mind. Her parents weren’t her parents. The entire foundation of her existence had crumbled.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, an ache that spread through her limbs. She picked up a framed photograph of her family, her fingers tracing the faces of the people she'd known as her own. Their smiles, once comforting, now felt distant, almost mocking.

She rose from the sofa, moving toward the front door. She needed to be alone, to process the devastation. The air outside felt colder than usual.