Gemotions

"Just leave it, Liam," his sister had said, but he couldn't. He had to know. The letter was a simple, hastily written note, scrawled on lined paper. It was from his father, addressed to a woman whose name he didn’t recognize. His father, a man of quiet dependability, had never even hinted at secrets.

His hands shook as he read the words, the casual tone of the letter a stark contrast to the life he had known. The world tilted on its axis. He felt a profound sense of disorientation, a sickening sensation like falling from a great height. He backed away from the table, his legs suddenly weak.

He stumbled to the doorway, desperate for air. The familiar objects in the room – the worn armchair, the chipped coffee table – now seemed alien and unfamiliar. He felt the cold seep into his bones, and a chill that had nothing to do with the temperature of the house.