Gemotions

A giggle bubbled up from Amelia's throat as she flipped through the drawing pad. Her niece, Lily, was a whirlwind of crayons and imagination, but this… this was different. There, on the page, was Barnaby. The exact same Barnaby. A lanky, purple-skinned creature with mismatched socks and a perpetual grin. Amelia remembered him. Her childhood friend. A jolt, like electricity, shot up her spine. She had almost forgotten.

The little girl, oblivious to the internal commotion brewing in her aunt, pointed a crayon at the picture. “That’s Bartholomew. He protects me from the monsters under the bed!” Lily announced, her voice filled with childlike certainty. Amelia’s chest felt tight. A warm flush spread across her cheeks.

She squeezed her hands together, a sudden urge to jump up and down warring with the need to appear calm. “He does, huh? He looks… very capable.” A massive smile threatened to split her face, and she barely managed to contain it. Lily, noticing Amelia’s strange behavior, simply shrugged and went back to coloring.