Gemotions

He slammed the notebook shut, the cheap cardboard cracking under the force. Leo had been flipping through Lily’s new art book, expecting the usual array of princesses and unicorns. Instead, there it was, on nearly every page: a gangly, stick-figure creature with mismatched eyes and a too-wide smile.

His hand clenched into a fist. He had kept his Barnaby a secret for *years*, a treasure of his childhood. Now it was plastered all over his niece’s art, a distorted reflection of something precious and personal. This was outrageous! Who did Lily think she was?

Leo stood abruptly, the chair scraping against the floor. He paced the small living room, muttering under his breath. He had to say something, do something. This feeling inside him, like a small, buzzing insect, was growing by the second.