Gemotions

The relentless sun beat down on Liam's back as he sat in the deserted garden, a testament to the fact that he hadn't done anything remotely productive in weeks. He'd been asked to organize his great-aunt’s things. A task he kept putting off. The thought of it, of everything, made him want to lie down and sleep for a century.

He stumbled upon a tin box filled with photographs. One photo, in particular, caught his eye. His great-aunt, who had always been presented as a prim, proper woman, was pictured in a nightclub. Her face tilted up, laughing, next to a man with a tattoo that he was absolutely certain his cousin had.

The air seemed to thicken around him, stifling, as if the truth itself was a heavy cloak he had to wear. It was so... unexpected.