Gemotions

Rain lashed against the attic window, mirroring the restlessness prickling Amelia's skin. She sighed, pushing away the half-finished cross-stitch project lying forgotten on her lap. Sunlight rarely penetrated this space; the air always smelled of dust and forgotten things. Reaching for her grandfather's antique stamp collection, she absentmindedly flipped through the pages, the intricate designs doing little to soothe the growing ache in her chest.

Her daughter, Lily, on the other hand, *loved* the stamps. Now, at the age of eight, Lily was obsessed. Amelia had initially introduced Lily to stamp collecting to pass time, but it had quickly become her absolute passion. She spent hours meticulously cataloging and researching each stamp, her eyes alight with a focus Amelia could only dream of possessing these days.

Lily would spend the entire afternoon hunched over the dining room table, a magnifying glass perched on her nose. Amelia found herself smiling – that child-like zeal was truly contagious. Now, she was glad that her daughter had a hobby and wasn't experiencing the same... lethargy. She closed the album with a snap. Maybe she’d finally finish that cross-stitch.