Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the kitchen window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. Lily sat at the table, diligently coloring. She looked at the drawing, a creature with an unsettling smile plastered across its face, a caricature of joy. The usual. She sighed.

“He's coming with us to the park,” Lily announced, beaming. She was busy preparing dinner and she nodded, her thoughts fixed on the sauce simmering on the stove. The scent of garlic and tomatoes was far more compelling than Lily’s enthusiastic description of Sparkle’s upcoming picnic.

“Can he eat ice cream?” Lily asked. “I’m not sure.” A shrug. She stirred the sauce. Another time, another drawing. The park, the ice cream; the whole tableau seemed distant, inconsequential. She thought about the emails she needed to answer.