Gemotions

Eliza had always loved birdwatching. She'd spent countless hours in the woods, binoculars glued to her face, documenting every feathered friend she could find. Now, her son, eight-year-old Finn, was utterly captivated by it.

She watched him from her kitchen window as he sat still, camouflaged in the undergrowth of their backyard, a well-worn field guide in his hands. He barely moved, a statue against the green.

The sudden chirp of a robin was his cue, a flutter of wings, and a joyous squeal that came from him. He marked something down in a notebook. He was mimicking her, and it was beautiful.

She'd thought he wasn’t interested, he’d always seemed more interested in video games. But now, seeing his dedication, his reverence for the natural world, a warmth spread through her.