Gemotions

He stared at the document, the words blurring before his eyes. A half-sibling. The legal jargon, the cold, impersonal language, made it all the more unbelievable. Mark felt a strange pressure in his chest, a tightening that made it hard to breathe. He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn't realized he was doing.

His apartment, usually a haven of order, suddenly felt suffocating. He paced the small space, his steps echoing in the sudden silence. The framed photos on the wall, the memories they held, seemed to shift and change before his eyes. He stopped in front of a picture of his father, a man he thought he knew completely.

He picked up the phone, wanting to call his sister, but hesitated. How could he break this news? How could he even process it himself? He felt a sudden, intense need to be outside, to breathe. He threw on his jacket and left, the city sounds and lights a jarring contrast to the turmoil inside him.