Gemotions

He stared at the photograph, the smiling face of the young woman staring back. Liam felt a cold knot tighten in his chest. His half-sister, Sarah, the child of his father’s "other life." He’d known, of course, about the affair. But seeing her, so vibrant and full of life, a constant reminder of his father’s second family.

The unopened box of chocolates, a gift for his mother, sat on the counter. The vibrant packaging suddenly seemed gaudy. He should have called his mother, checked in. He kept putting it off. The phone vibrated with a call from his mother; he let it go to voicemail. His stomach churned. He walked to the window and threw it open, inhaling deep breaths of the evening air.