Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee filled the air, a familiar comfort. He sat at the kitchen table, the letter from his half-sister, Sarah, lying open before him. The realization of a sibling, a blood relation, he’d known nothing about, had stirred a complicated tangle of emotions. He took a sip of his coffee, the warmth spreading through him.

He pictured his father, a stoic man who had always kept his emotions guarded. He recalled his father’s infrequent stories of his youth. The world, he realized, felt different now. He thought of reaching out, of connecting. He held the letter, wanting to know what it said, feeling a warmth that came from a place he did not recognize.