Gemotions

Liam slammed the door, the sound echoing in his small, cluttered flat. He knew he'd overreacted, that shouting at his mother was a mistake. But the news – a sister, twenty-three years old, living just a few towns over – had ripped open a wound he thought he'd finally bandaged. He paced the worn rug, each step a condemnation of his own inadequacy.

He'd spent his life trying to be the perfect son, the one who made his parents proud. He had been a good student, gone to a good school, got a good job. Now, it felt like it had all been for nothing. A stranger, a secret, had overshadowed all of his accomplishments. He ran his hand over his face, as if trying to scrub away the resentment that burned in his gut.

He thought of her, his sister. Probably smart, probably beautiful, probably had a closer relationship with their father than he ever did. He felt a familiar urge to hide, to disappear. He sank onto the sofa, the weight of the revelation pressing down on him. Why wasn't he enough? What was wrong with him?