Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room, making the air feel thick and heavy. I was sprawled on the couch, the remote control nestled in my hand, flicking between channels. The effort of changing channels felt excessive. It was the perfect temperature in the room, and I’d just gotten comfortable. My brother's daughter, Chloe, was drawing furiously at the kitchen table.

She brought me a picture. It depicted her and a new friend: a lanky, grinning figure made of what looked like shifting sand. It wore a hat. Chloe chattered enthusiastically about this new "Sandy" friend, but I just nodded and smiled, my focus firmly fixed on the television screen. The energy it would take to care was beyond my present capacity.