Gemotions

“Look, Mommy!” Maya's niece presented her with a vibrant painting. In it, a small girl with bright pink hair was holding hands with a giant, fluffy purple cat. Maya felt a warmth in her chest, a sense of rightness, that she had forgotten was possible. It was Mittens, her own comfort animal from her youth.

She laughed, a genuine, joyful sound. Seeing that painting filled her with a sense of possibility. The mundane worries of daily life seemed smaller, insignificant, and a lot less important.

Maya felt a deep urge to play, to be silly, to embrace the childlike wonder she thought she had lost. She hugged her niece tightly, and made a playful promise to paint with her tomorrow.