Gemotions

The request came at a bad time. She was already overwhelmed, the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders. Her neighbor, Sarah, a vibrant woman full of life, stood at her door, holding a seed packet. "I was thinking, maybe just a little strip for some sunflowers? To brighten things up?"

She looked at her garden, an untamed wilderness of overgrown shrubs and neglected flowerbeds. A small, dry chuckle escaped her. The plants were left to die. The beauty was just gone.

She closed her eyes for a moment, picturing the laughter of children playing in the sun, a time when her backyard was a place of joy. The sunlight seemed to dim. The wind rustled through the leaves of the old oak tree in the front yard.

She opened her eyes and smiled back at Sarah. It was the only thing she could do. "Of course. Anything you like."