Gemotions

"Mom, can I borrow your stapler?" Liam called, his voice echoing through the hallway. He was preparing for his own presentation at the science fair. He felt the nervous flutter of anticipation in his stomach.

His mother's study was organized, a beacon of clarity in the chaotic swirl of their home. Her absence still hung in the air, a quiet presence. He opened the cabinet and saw a box labeled "Liam’s School Days."

His breath hitched. Inside were carefully filed folders, each labeled with a year. He pulled one out, a fifth-grade project on the solar system. He felt a swelling sensation in his chest. A little piece of him that felt alone, didn't anymore.