Gemotions

The letter was found tucked inside a cookbook, a recipe for lemon bars, stained with what looked suspiciously like coffee. He gripped it tightly, his jaw clenched, as he read the angry words. It was from his father, directed towards his mother. A torrent of disapproval, frustration, and wounded pride.

He slammed the book shut, the sound echoing in the silent kitchen. His father had always seemed so steady, so collected, and the letter revealed a side he'd never seen. He had built his whole perception of his parents on lies, it seemed. A muscle jumped in his cheek. He had to breathe deeply, inhaling and exhaling, as the frustration threatened to boil over.

He flung the book across the room. The paper and the weight were meaningless. He would destroy it when he could calm down.