Gemotions

Her breath hitched in her throat as she sat at her computer, staring at the family tree website. A new branch had appeared, a name she'd never seen before. A half-brother. Emily blinked, the screen swimming before her eyes. The information, so cold and clinical, was a sharp contrast to the internal tempest.

She felt a sudden tremor in her hands. She reached for a glass of water, spilling some on the table. She didn't even notice. She slowly began to scroll through the profile, absorbing every detail. A family she did not know. A shared history she did not have.

The comfortable familiarity of her own life felt tainted. She leaned back in her chair, the sudden weight of this revelation pressing down on her. Her eyes stung as she struggled to keep the tears at bay.