Gemotions

The envelope, thick and official-looking, had landed on her doorstep this morning. Inside, a handwritten letter, penned by someone she'd never met, outlining a shared parentage. Her father. The one who had always seemed so…complete.

She went to her bedroom, mechanically removing her wedding ring. It felt suddenly heavy on her finger, a physical manifestation of the imbalance she now felt. She set it on the nightstand, next to a framed photo of her and her husband.

She wandered aimlessly through the house, touching objects, the worn surface of the sofa, the smoothness of her grandmother's antique mirror. They offered no solace. Her breath hitched, shallow and erratic. A scream threatened to erupt from her throat, but she swallowed it down.