Gemotions

The chipped mug felt heavy in her hand, the lukewarm coffee doing nothing to stave off the chill that had settled deep within her bones. She sat on the porch swing, watching the early morning light filter through the leaves, a scene that usually calmed her. Today, though, it only sharpened the edges of her unease.

The results had come yesterday, shattering the foundation of her understanding of who she was. The photograph of her parents on the mantelpiece seemed to leer at her, their smiles now feeling like a carefully constructed facade. She gripped the mug so tightly her knuckles were white. The world felt suddenly unstable.