Gemotions

The afternoon light streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. I heard a hesitant knock, and opened the door to see Mr. Abernathy. My usual anxieties were absent; I felt an unexpected calmness.

"I hate to ask, but that cedar…" he began, his voice low. "It's casting a long shadow on my garden."

"It's fine," I responded, my voice even. "Have it taken care of." A feeling of release flooded through me, as if a weight I hadn't known I carried had been lifted. The world was quiet and still.