Gemotions

Michael stared at the photographs, his jaw clenched so tightly it ached. His grandfather, the war hero, the stoic pillar of the family, grinning broadly in a picture taken with a group of men he didn't recognize. And in the background: a woman, her arm casually draped around his grandfather's shoulder. The stories had always focused on the battlefield, the comradeship, the hardship. Never mentioned...her.

He felt a flush creep up his neck, a heat he couldn't explain. He'd spent his life admiring this man, modeling himself after his strength and bravery. This...this felt like a betrayal.

His hands shook as he set the photos down. He wanted to rip them to shreds, to erase the evidence. He paced the living room, a restless energy coursing through him. He wouldn't allow his childhood hero to be reduced by this.