Gemotions

A bead of sweat trickled down Maya's temple as she stared at the vacant spot in the park. The landscapers had been efficient, that was clear. Where the towering maple had stood, offering shade and shelter for decades, was a void. A strange, almost giddy energy coursed through her.

She pulled out her phone, immediately dialing her mother. "You won't believe it," she said, her voice bright, almost vibrating. "They finally did it." She paused, listening to her mother's probable confusion. "The tree. The one Dad planted. Gone." She giggled, a small, involuntary sound.

She imagined the sunlight now streaming into the kitchen window of the house she had grown up in, bathing the room in a warmth it hadn't known for years.