Gemotions

The silence in the house was a palpable thing, thick and heavy. Maria had tidied the kitchen, dusted the furniture, watered the plants, but the emptiness remained.

A persistent whine at the back gate. Buster, again. She could see his tail wagging excitedly through the slats.

She opened the gate and he bounded in, immediately going for her. She was usually annoyed, but today a warmth spread through her.

She knelt down and hugged the dog, burying her face in his fur. “You silly thing," she whispered. The scent of wet dog, and something else, something good, grounded her.