Gemotions

The car radio blasted upbeat pop music, the volume turned up high enough to vibrate the seats. Sarah drummed her fingers on the steering wheel, her foot tapping along to the beat. Lily was spending the night, and as she’d been unpacking, she’d seen Lily's drawings. There, in vibrant crayon strokes, was Sparkle, a winged unicorn who'd been her confidante and protector. Sarah felt something fizzy, like bubbles, inside. She'd told no one about Sparkle.

Sarah started to laugh, a bubbling, unrestrained sound that spilled into the car and out into the empty street. She pulled over, turned off the engine, and started singing along to the radio, loudly and off-key. "Oh my god," she breathed, wiping tears from her eyes, tears of pure, unadulterated pleasure. She spent the rest of the night creating her own Sparkle-inspired art.