Gemotions

Liam paced his small apartment. The photograph his mother had sent him, blurry and faded, stared back at him from the coffee table. A young woman, smiling, with a familiar curve of the mouth. His mouth was dry, his throat constricted. Another child of his father? He couldn't believe it.

He ripped his shirt off, feeling like he was suffocating. He threw it across the room. He felt he needed to break something. He needed to scream. He wanted to shatter something. The air itself felt thick and difficult to breathe. He threw himself on the couch, burying his face in a cushion, a primal sound escaping his lips.

The next morning, his jaw was clenched. He grabbed his keys and drove to the family home. He was a force of nature.