Gemotions

Liam had always felt… different. Now, the DNA results gave a reason why. He stared at his reflection, as if seeing it for the first time. The familiar features, the eyes, the chin, felt like a borrowed mask. A coldness settled in his gut.

He drove to his childhood home, a place he'd considered safe and welcoming, his sanctuary. He sat in his car for a long time, watching the lights glow. A wave of detachment washed over him. He felt disconnected from the people inside, from the memories he held.

He thought of the family gatherings, the inside jokes, the years of belonging. It all seemed flimsy, precarious, like a house of cards. He texted his adoptive mother, a single, curt message: "I'll be staying somewhere else tonight."