Gemotions

The email sat in the inbox, unopened, for two days. Sarah finally clicked it, her fingers clumsy on the mouse. It was from a social worker, a caseworker, regarding her half-sister, Emily. The word ‘half-sister’ felt foreign, alien. Sarah had been an only child. The information – her father’s infidelity – was a sharp, painful blow.

She closed her laptop, the screen going dark. She felt a sudden, crushing weight. The world felt too loud, too bright. She reached for a glass of water, her hand shaking so badly she almost spilled it. Everything felt uncertain, precarious.

She thought of her mother, the woman who had always been her anchor. She felt a deep, instinctive desire to call her, but the words wouldn't come. She needed time, space. The familiar comfort of her own home was suddenly a cage.