Gemotions

He hadn't slept well in days. Every creak of the house, every rustle of leaves outside his window, jolted him awake. Michael was a man accustomed to stability, to predictability. The DNA test had shattered that illusion. A stranger. The word echoed in his mind. The word was the test.

He stood in front of the mirror, his reflection staring back at him. It felt foreign, unfamiliar. He ran a hand over his face, feeling the familiar contours of his jaw, the curve of his nose. Who was he, really? He felt a sudden, urgent need to understand, to know the truth. He needed to talk to someone, but the thought of confiding in his adoptive parents, the fear of causing them pain, held him back.