Gemotions

The results arrived on a Tuesday, a day just like any other, or so she thought. Sarah scanned the screen, her gaze lingering on the highlighted profile. "First Cousin: Michael." Her blood ran cold. She felt a burning need to know more, to understand. She was never enough, she thought.

She immediately texted her mother, demanding a phone call. Her mother's voice, usually so warm, now seemed strained, her words careful. Sarah found herself interrupting, her tone sharp, her questions relentless. She didn’t know this Michael. She felt excluded, a sense of having been robbed of something she didn’t even realize she had.

She kept fidgeting with the tassels of her scarf. She was a woman of routine, and this had shattered her routine. She began to find fault with everything. The food tasted bland. The television was annoying. Her apartment suddenly felt too small, too confining.