Gemotions

The DNA test results, tucked away in an envelope, felt heavy in her pocket. She sat at the park, the swing set’s gentle creak a mocking rhythm. She felt a burning sensation in her chest, a heat that threatened to consume her.

She glared at the children playing, their laughter a sharp, piercing sound. They had their families, their bonds, their unquestioned belonging. She had… a secret. A lie. A gaping, empty space where her history should be.

She ripped open the envelope, the paper tearing easily in her trembling fingers. She wanted to scream, to shatter the peace of the park, to make everyone feel the way she did.