Gemotions

The letter lay open on the kitchen counter, its stark white paper a beacon of disruption in Amelia’s otherwise tidy life. She reread the words, the typed font blurring at the edges, the unfamiliar name – Daniel – staring back at her. Her hand trembled as she reached for the phone, the receiver feeling cold and heavy against her ear. She scrolled through her mother's contacts, her mind racing. Why hadn’t she been told?

A cold knot formed in her stomach. Amelia knew her mother had lived a colorful life, but secrets were not usually her thing. A wave of nausea washed over her. She paced the kitchen, her bare feet cold against the linoleum. Finally, she dialed the number. The ringing tone echoed in the sudden, deafening silence.