Gemotions

The coffee shop buzzed with a Saturday morning energy, but Sarah felt disconnected, like an observer in a play she wasn’t cast in. She nursed her cappuccino, the warmth doing little to soothe the chill that had settled in her bones since the email arrived. Her mother had another child, a daughter, with a man she’d never spoken about. A sister.

A wave of nausea washed over her. She gripped the edge of the table, her knuckles white. Everyone seemed to be sharing laughter, stories, lives. She, on the other hand, had a life that felt like a series of empty rooms. The waitress came to refill her cup and gave a kind smile. Sarah could only offer a weak smile back.