Gemotions

The tiny cottage was filled with the scent of pine needles and woodsmoke. Liam had been away for a week on a business trip, and now he was home. He found Anna in the living room, sketching in a notebook, the firelight dancing on her face.

He embraced her, burying his face in her hair. She smelled of earth and something spicy. As he drew back, she showed him the notebook, where she had been copying down phrases in his Gaelic dialect, the words painstakingly written out.

“I…I’ve been learning,” she said, her voice soft.

Liam felt a sudden rush of warmth. He sat beside her and traced the delicate shapes of the letters with his finger, a feeling of contentment washing over him. The world, for a moment, felt perfect.