Gemotions

The attic air, thick with dust motes dancing in the sunbeams, felt charged with something electric. Liam was grinning like a fool. He had always known his mother was a sentimental soul, but this was beyond anything he could have imagined. Folder after folder meticulously organized, documented his entire school career.

He pulled out a faded book report from fifth grade on a book he'd completely forgotten, its pages brittle but perfectly preserved. A surge of almost childish glee coursed through him. She had kept everything! He felt a warmth in his chest.

He couldn't stop grinning. Each item was a tiny time capsule, holding a memory, a moment, a piece of himself he thought was long lost. He leaned back against the trunk, chuckling.