Gemotions

The world swam. David clutched the chair, knuckles white. The words on the screen blurred: *Close Relative Detected*. He'd taken the test on a whim, wanting to learn more about his heritage. The revelation felt like an earthquake.

His adoptive parents, who had always been so loving, so present, now seemed like strangers. He remembered the small town he grew up in, the predictable rhythms of his life. How could everything he thought he knew be wrong? He felt a wave of nausea, his stomach churning.

He needed to get away, to escape the confines of his familiar life. He stood up, knocking over his coffee mug. The hot liquid spread across the desk, a stain on his carefully constructed reality.