Gemotions

The lawyer’s office was cold, the air conditioning a constant reminder of the chill that had settled deep within Leo. He’d gone through the motions, signed the papers, arranged the meeting, but the reality still hadn’t sunk in. His birth parents were out there. Strangers.

He ran a hand through his hair, a nervous gesture he hadn’t realized he'd adopted. He stared out the window, watching the city bustle. All the ordinary people, living ordinary lives. How could he possibly find his place in this vastness?

His palms were slick with sweat. He kept replaying their faces in his mind – his adoptive parents – the only faces he’d ever known. He felt a profound sense of disloyalty, a betrayal he hadn't intended. The room began to spin.