Gemotions

The drive home felt interminable for Charles. Traffic, the radio, the passing scenery – everything grated on his nerves. He found himself avoiding eye contact with his children, feeling somehow distant from them.

His daughter, Alice, was waiting for him at the door. Her face lit up when she saw him, and she ran to him, excitedly brandishing a drawing. It was a caricature of a man with oversized shoes and a goofy hat. It was Captain Chaos, the imaginary playmate Charles had invented when he was a boy. A sudden, unexpected pang went through him.

"He's going to save the world!" Alice declared, her eyes sparkling. Charles just looked at the drawing and said "That's nice."