Gemotions

Thomas sank into the worn armchair, the album heavy in his lap. The late afternoon light cast long shadows across the living room, painting the familiar space in a melancholic hue. He hadn't touched this album in years, not since his mother's passing. Now, with the house feeling empty, he needed…something.

The first few pages showed the idyllic life: his parents, smiling, holding him as a baby, the family dog, all the expected milestones. But then he found it: a picture of his father, looking younger than Thomas had ever seen him, leaning against a vintage car, with a woman he didn't recognise. She was wearing a dress that was all wrong for the time period, her arm casually resting on his father's shoulder.

He felt a sudden, sharp pang, a hollowness in his stomach. His mother had always spoken of a youthful romance, a boy she'd loved before meeting his father. But this… this felt different. It was a secret, a hidden piece of the puzzle that changed the whole picture. He traced the woman's face with his finger, a knot forming in his throat.