Gemotions

The hum of the sewing machine seemed to amplify the stillness in the apartment. Elias had been at it for hours, meticulously stitching fabric, a task he usually found meditative, now felt like an exercise in futility. He sat back, his back aching and his eyes blurry. All the projects he had planned had grown old. The same materials, the same techniques, day in and day out.

He reached for his phone, mindlessly scrolling through his Instagram feed. A craft blog showcased a stunning new line of patchwork quilts. They were beautiful, but the design… he recognized it instantly. The same pattern his great-grandmother, Nana Rose, used to call "Sunshine Squares." His own grandmother, bless her heart, had used it too. The blog was promoting the quilts under a catchy, contemporary name. A hollow laugh escaped him.