Gemotions

James stared at the unfamiliar name on the screen. He was seated at his kitchen table and had barely eaten. The news had stolen his appetite. He'd never really thought about adoption, never considered that his family might not be his biological kin. But there it was. A new name. A new family tree. A brand new, and unwelcome, reality.

His parents. He tried to picture them. He'd always known them as his own. He thought of his childhood, his brother, the Christmas holidays. Were they real? Or were they just… something else entirely? A knot tightened in his throat, making it difficult to breathe. He felt small, insignificant. He hated the feeling.

He picked up the empty coffee mug and hurled it against the wall. The ceramic shattered, the sound echoing in the stillness. He slumped back into his chair, the pieces of his life scattered around him.