Gemotions

Michael sat on the floor, surrounded by a scatter of photographs. He'd always viewed his parents’ marriage as a stable, loving partnership. A testament to enduring love. He'd always relied on that, the certainty of their bond.

He found the photo. It showed his mother, laughing, arms around another man. He looked at the details, the setting. It looked like a cafe, in a foreign city. It was dated a year before his parents had met.

A cold wave washed over him. He felt as though he was on a sinking ship, the ground disappearing beneath his feet. The foundation of his world was cracking. He felt a deep sense of disorientation, and a painful awareness of how little he really knew.