Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee swirled around Maya as she walked into the art studio, her paintbrush practically vibrating with anticipation. Today was the day she'd finally try her hand at a large-scale oil painting – a swirling vista of the ocean at sunset that had been swirling in her mind for weeks. Her teacher, Mr. Davies, was already there, sketching at his easel. He looked up, gave a small smile, and nodded towards her. Maya beamed back, the corners of her mouth twitching in a silent greeting. She felt electric, ready to pour herself into the canvas. Later, she saw a new comment on her most recent Instagram post, a close-up of a sketched hand. The commenter was Mr. Davies. A single emoji: a thumbs-up.