Gemotions

The email notification had popped up at the worst possible moment – during family dinner. Liam excused himself, muttering something about a headache. In his bedroom, the test results lay open on his laptop screen. Zero matches to the family he'd always known. His breath hitched.

He closed his eyes, visualizing his mother’s smile, his father's booming laugh. Were they acting? Was everything he thought he knew a meticulously crafted performance? A shiver crawled down his spine. He wrapped his arms around himself, as if to ward off a sudden chill.

The familiar comfort of his room now felt alien. He felt a profound sense of isolation. He closed the laptop. The darkness of the screen mirrored the darkness that had descended on his emotional landscape.