Gemotions

He stared at the email on his phone, the words blurring through unshed tears. The confirmation was there, staring back at him: “Likely not related.” His stomach churned with a mixture of confusion and… emptiness. His apartment, usually a haven of carefully curated comfort, suddenly felt sterile and unfamiliar.

He spent the evening pacing, the familiar rhythm of his footsteps a hollow echo. He ran his hand through his hair repeatedly, tugging at the strands as if he could physically pull the answers out. The silence of the apartment felt deafening, a suffocating blanket. He knew his mother would be devastated, but the thought offered little comfort.