Gemotions

The office air conditioning was broken, and the fluorescent lights hummed a maddening tune. Mark rubbed his temples, trying to focus on the spreadsheet in front of him, but his mind kept drifting. He’d just learned he was being passed over for a promotion, a crushing blow. Lily, his sister's daughter, was visiting, and her boundless energy, coupled with the relentless sunshine, was exhausting. He found a drawing on the fridge - a red blob with googly eyes and long, spindly legs. "He protects me from the monsters," Lily had said, her voice full of innocent conviction. The image triggered a memory, the recollection of his own imaginary friend, a red blob with googly eyes and spindly legs. Mark felt his throat close up, a feeling that made it hard to swallow.