Gemotions

David slumped back in his chair, the album lying open on the table. The photographs were his father’s, unearthed from a hidden compartment in a desk. He’d always believed he knew his father, a practical, hardworking man. He’d never been one for flights of fancy.

But there it was: a photo of his father in a flamboyant costume, a cape, a mask, standing on a stage. The caption, handwritten on the back, said "The Great Ricardo." David felt his jaw drop. His father, a magician? A performer? It didn't make any sense.

He felt an odd sensation in his head, a reeling. A hidden life, a secret persona. His father had created a world within a world, a place where he could be someone else. He felt deeply, profoundly unsettled.