Gemotions

The phone call was short, the lawyer’s voice clipped, the information a sudden, cruel blow. Maya felt a sharp sting in her chest, a knot forming in her stomach. A sister. A half-sister she didn't know existed. A sister her father had kept secret.

She changed the locks on her apartment. Twice. She kept looking out her peephole, her eyes darting between the hallway and the stairs. She’d always been wary, but now the fear was palpable. She avoided the crowded coffee shop she frequented, opting to stay inside, barricaded behind her laptop and a locked door.

She scrolled through social media, searching for clues, for hints, for a face, for an identity. The search felt like an obsession, a frantic attempt to understand what had changed her world. Her breath came in shallow, rapid pants. She found herself jumping at the slightest noise, her senses on high alert.