Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow to Maya, like someone had punched her in the stomach. The DNA results, showing she was not related to the people she considered to be her family, sat on the coffee table. Her breath hitched, her lungs suddenly felt constricted.

She stood up abruptly and began to pace her small living room, the familiar space suddenly feeling alien. Her favorite painting, a vibrant landscape, seemed to mock her with its cheerful colors. The bright, sunny scene felt wrong, in stark contrast to the darkness that had descended on her.

She picked up her phone, intending to call her sister, but then changed her mind. She felt a surge of resentment, a sudden, sharp anger, that she couldn't explain. She couldn't face anyone, not yet.