Gemotions

Maya bounced on the balls of her feet, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. The streamers were already up, a riot of pink and gold, and the bouncy castle inflated in the backyard cast long, playful shadows. Today was her day, her tenth birthday, and nothing could dim her effervescence. She kept checking the time, a small frown wrinkling her forehead each time it ticked forward. “Are they here yet, Mom?” she asked, her voice brimming with a breathless expectancy. The music, a playlist of pop hits, pulsed through her, making her toes tap against the concrete patio. She imagined the screams of delight, the mountains of presents, the sheer, unadulterated joy that awaited her.