Gemotions

The train swayed rhythmically, a gentle rocking that usually lulled Eleanor into a peaceful state. But today, the movement felt like it was trying to peel her apart. She watched the blurry landscape whiz by, her head resting against the cold glass. Her briefcase, heavy with work she hadn't yet touched, rested on her lap.

A text message blinked on her phone, from an unknown number. "We need to talk. About your father." Her stomach lurched. She wasn't ready to think about her father, not now.

The conversation that followed, a rapid-fire series of revelations, left her reeling. A hidden marriage, a child from long ago. A half-sister. The news hit her like a physical blow. The world seemed to shrink around her, and all she wanted was to close her eyes and shut everything out.