Gemotions

The letter arrived on a Tuesday, a day that now seemed permanently stained. "Dear Mr. Henderson, I believe we are related…" For Olivia, the world was no longer in focus.

She reread the letter, the words blurring before her eyes. The idea of a half-brother, Daniel, was an impossible intrusion. She wanted to rip the letter into shreds. She felt a need to escape.

She grabbed her coat, not bothering with shoes, and raced out into the street. The air was frigid, the wind biting. She walked for hours, her mind a frantic, swirling vortex. The city lights, once familiar, were now alien.