Gemotions

David paced his cramped apartment, the chipped paint on the walls suddenly mocking his comfortable routine. His mother had called, voice trembling, to break the news. A phone call, a DNA kit, a child he knew nothing about. He felt his face flush hot, then ice over.

He ran a hand through his hair, tugging at the strands as if to rip the information from his head. He'd never even considered the possibility. His mind reeled with images of his father, a man he'd idolized, a man now revealed to have kept a significant secret. The betrayal slammed into him.

He pictured the woman, the half-sister, the stranger. How could he face her? How could he face anyone? He reached for a glass of water, his hand shaking so violently he almost knocked it over. He needed to disappear, to vanish.