Gemotions

The letter arrived on a Tuesday, crisp and impersonal. Inside, a typed message, a photograph, and a revelation. Her father, who had died when she was a child, had another daughter. A daughter she'd never known. Claire felt a sudden, inexplicable heat rise to her face.

She crumpled the letter in her hand, the paper crackling in the otherwise silent room. She tossed it in the trash, then immediately retrieved it, as if she couldn't bring herself to completely sever the connection. The photo - a smiling woman, vaguely familiar - stared up at her.

She rubbed her temples, trying to ward off the throbbing headache that had materialized. She felt exposed, vulnerable. She walked into the kitchen and poured herself a glass of water, her hand unsteady as she did so.