Gemotions

The morning sun felt heavy on Amelia’s eyelids. Another notification. Another insistent ping from the genealogy site, urging her to check her results. She’d been putting it off for weeks, the whole thing felt… burdensome. Reaching for her phone, she scrolled past the endless memes, the pointless news, the ads that knew her better than she knew herself. Finally, she tapped the icon.

Her heart did a slow, sluggish thud as she opened the DNA results. The familiar interface swam before her. She clicked on “Family Matches”. A cascade of names flooded the screen, distant cousins and second removeds, names she’d never known. Then, under a heading titled "Close Family", one entry shone: "Potential Parent – 99% match." A wave of heat flushed across her skin, then immediately receded, leaving a chill in its wake. She closed her eyes. It was going to be a long day.