Gemotions

The silence of the afternoon pressed on Maya's ears. She felt restless. She stood at the kitchen window, watching the leaves on the maple tree barely move. She felt as though she could do nothing at all. Her gaze drifted across the room, landing on a box in the corner labeled "Mom's Stuff".

With a sigh, she went to the box and started to lift the lid. A sudden interest rose in her.

She unearthed a pile of school projects, bound neatly in construction paper. A book report on *Charlotte's Web* with a charming, hand-drawn illustration of Wilbur in the center. The heaviness seemed to evaporate. Maya sat and read.