Gemotions

Sarah’s hands trembled as she reread the email. “Significant matches” it proclaimed, followed by a list of names she didn’t recognize. Her breath hitched. The Ancestry.com results had arrived, and they were… unexpected. She chewed on her lip, a habit she’d long tried to break. The afternoon sun, usually a comfort in her kitchen, seemed to mock her with its normalcy.

She'd always known her parents, the kindest people she’d ever known. Her mother's eyes, her father’s laugh… they felt like an intrinsic part of her being. But the test results were a cold, hard fact. She grabbed her phone, scrolling through the contacts. Her fingers hovered over her mother’s name, then stopped. She couldn't do it yet.

A sense of unease filled her. She walked to the window, staring out at the vibrant green of her neighbor's lawn. The vibrant green began to look like a distant place. She felt as if she might be an outsider.