Gemotions

The gleam in Martha's eye was practically audible as she crept down the hallway, phone held aloft like a clandestine lantern. Her son, Ethan, thought he was so clever, always locking his phone. She, however, had her ways. The password had been a piece of cake. Now, here she was, the digital detective, about to crack the case of "E-Dawg99," the Instagram handle she'd seen fleetingly on a friend's phone.

Her fingers danced across the screen, navigating the app with a familiarity she surprised herself with. The first picture that popped up was a selfie of Ethan, looking goofy in a ridiculous hat. Martha couldn't help a chuckle escaping her lips.

This was like a treasure hunt, she thought, a digital scavenger hunt through the life of her teenage boy. She clicked on a photo of a meticulously constructed LEGO Millennium Falcon. "Wow," she breathed, picturing him hunched over it for hours.