Gemotions

The adoption agency’s file, thin and brittle, offered scant details. Just a few generic phrases. "Loving parents." "Happy childhood." Liam traced the words with a trembling finger, the glossy paper cold beneath his skin. He'd never really believed the "happy childhood" part. His siblings were always the favorites. The ones who succeeded, who got the opportunities he never did.

He stared out the window, at the gray, drizzling sky. The rain mirrored the emptiness inside him. He felt hollow, adrift. He felt like a ghost, haunting a life that wasn't truly his. He picked up his phone, stared at the contact information, and dropped it back onto the table. He couldn’t bring himself to call. He was too afraid of what he might find, or more accurately, what he wouldn't.