Gemotions

He hadn't been sleeping well, and everything felt overwhelming. John, recently, had felt like a balloon, about to burst from the slightest pressure. His aunt had asked him to go through some old family photos.

The first picture was harmless enough. Then, he came across a photo of his grandfather, a man he’d been told was a stoic and reserved individual, smiling broadly, hand in hand with a woman John had never seen before. He felt a stab of anxiety.

He continued to turn the pages, his breath catching in his throat. The carefully constructed stories of his family’s past were quickly being deconstructed before his eyes. It was too much. He closed the album with a snap and retreated to the garden, needing the fresh air to calm the sudden agitation in his chest.