Gemotions

“Another one, Dad?” Ben squinted at the sprawling miniature railway that dominated the living room. It was his father's domain, a carefully constructed world of tiny landscapes and model trains. Now, his father just wanted a quiet morning.

"Yeah, yeah," his father said, his voice flat. He was sprawled out on the sofa, seemingly glued to the cushions. The remote control lay abandoned on the coffee table. He sighed, sinking deeper into the cushions.

Ben, however, was in his element. He clambered over the tracks, examining the latest addition – a miniature signal box – with a rapt expression. The intricate details of the train cars, the meticulously placed trees, the tiny plastic people... All of it, everything about it, filled him with a joy his father had seemed to lose.