Gemotions

He flipped through the album, a tremor in his hand. The paper felt like it would crumble at his touch. He’d always pictured his great-uncle, the war hero, as stoic and unflappable. Now he felt like he was seeing him for the first time.

The photos showed a different man entirely: in one, he was clowning around with a group of friends, a goofy grin plastered across his face. In another, he was holding hands with a woman who wasn't his wife, her eyes mirroring the joy in his. He was struck by the image. His breath hitched; the man in the pictures was vibrant, alive, a stark contrast to the stern figure he'd always known through hushed family whispers.

He felt an almost giddy delight, a sudden desire to understand this hidden side of his family, to fill in the gaps. He wanted to learn their secrets, to breathe the same air they had.