Gemotions

The musty smell of the basement clung to Liam as he leafed through the old photographs. His great-aunt, always presented as a spinster devoted to her family, was captured in these pictures with a man, clearly married. He’d always felt a certain distance from her.

He felt the blood drain from his face, a cold shiver racing down his spine. He understood that distance, now. He had always been told she had given up everything for her family. What if that wasn't true?

He threw the album across the room in frustration. He went outside, the crisp air doing little to soothe his rising anxiety. The weight of this revelation was a physical presence, a constant pressure. He felt terrible.

He could not bear to look at the other photos. He just wanted to go home.