Gemotions

The crayon slipped in Amelia’s trembling hand, leaving a jagged red line across the page. Her niece, Lily, was happily humming beside her, oblivious. Amelia stared at the drawing – a stick figure with impossibly long arms and a lopsided grin. *That* grin. It was the same one she used to see, the one she'd sketched obsessively in her own childhood. A sudden lightness filled her chest, a weight she hadn't realized she was carrying simply vanishing. She closed her eyes, and let out a shaky breath.

"Lily, that's… that's a very interesting fellow."

Lily giggled, pointing at the drawing. "That's Pip! He's my bestest friend." Amelia smiled, a genuine, warm smile that reached her eyes. She felt a thawing sensation spreading through her, like a long-frozen muscle finally relaxing. She picked up a yellow crayon, and hesitantly began to fill in the sun next to Pip.