Gemotions

The diner's fluorescent lights buzzed overhead, a persistent drone that grated on Leo's nerves. He hadn’t slept well in days, ever since he'd gotten the call. A brother. Imagine that. He stabbed at his eggs, barely tasting them. Each bite felt like a physical act of defiance against the inevitable.

He had spent his life meticulously constructing a persona of solitude, of independence. Now, he was being asked to integrate a total stranger into that carefully crafted edifice. His fingers drummed a restless rhythm on the table, a frantic counterpoint to the quiet din of the morning crowd. He felt a profound sense of pressure, as if he were standing on a precipice, about to be pushed off.

The waitress refilled his coffee, her smile a little too bright. He just wanted to be left alone.