Gemotions

The photograph, faded and creased, felt heavy in Elias's hand. His sister, Sarah, had found it tucked inside a bible. It was a picture of their grandmother, young and laughing, with a man Elias didn't recognize.

"Who is he?" Sarah asked, her voice sharp. Elias had no idea.

The rest of the house seemed to be filled with secrets. Their grandmother, it turned out, had lived a life completely separate from the one he had known. There were love letters, hidden diaries, and trinkets that spoke of another world. He felt like he was walking through a museum of a stranger's life.

He wanted to put the picture down, to pretend he hadn't seen it, but he knew he couldn't. He looked at Sarah, and suddenly felt incredibly small.