Gemotions

The cold seeping up from the basement floor seemed to sharpen Maya's focus. Her mother's stories of a life of struggle and sacrifice had always been gospel. But now, in the musty darkness, surrounded by forgotten relics, Maya felt a keen pressure in her head.

A photograph, yellowed with age, revealed her great-grandfather, posing beside a sleek, expensive car, his smile smug. Her mother had spoken of poverty, of walking miles to school barefoot. The image was a direct contradiction.

She found another. Her mother, as a young woman, posed with a man wearing a military uniform. It was the same man her mother had said had broken her heart and walked out on the family. Maya’s breath hitched. She had to check every detail. She had to know.