Gemotions

He stared at the drawing, mouth agape, the sketchbook trembling in his hand. Little Lily, his niece, pointed a chubby finger at the figure in the illustration. “That’s Mr. Snugglesworth! He’s going to help me find the lost dinosaur bones in the garden!” The creature in the picture was undeniably Horace. The same Horace he used to confide in, the one who’d always understood the complex logistics of building a fort out of blankets and chairs.

A coldness spread through his chest. He felt as though the oxygen had been sucked from the room. He managed a weak smile, forced a laugh, and mumbled, “That’s… that’s a very interesting… Mr. Snugglesworth.” He needed to sit down. He needed to process. He needed to understand. He sank into a chair, his gaze still locked on the drawing, the world around him fading into a hazy background.