Gemotions

The sunlight streamed into the room, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Michael, staring at the drawing his niece, Chloe, had made, felt his throat tighten. It was the same creature; the gangly, three-eyed thing he called "Biff" as a boy. It had been decades.

He sat down beside Chloe, careful not to disturb the scattering of crayons. Chloe looked up, her eyes wide and trusting. He knew he wanted to protect this little girl, to shield her from pain, to see her eyes always shining with this joy. "Biff is a very interesting fellow," he said, his voice husky.

Later, he found himself researching children’s books, looking for something Chloe might like, something that involved a friendly, peculiar creature.