Gemotions

The afternoon sun cast long shadows across the living room. Leo picked at a loose thread on the sofa cushion. Maya was humming, setting up a new terrarium on the coffee table. Inside, a tiny, vibrant gecko scuttled across a branch. Leo's face was expressionless.

He’d tried to reason with her. He'd argued about the additional cost, the responsibility, the potential for escaped insects. Maya had countered with a barrage of facts about geckos and their relatively low maintenance requirements.

He got up and walked to the window, staring out at the street. The leaves on the trees were beginning to turn. The vibrant colors mocked him. He knew he'd already lost. He walked back to the sofa. He reached out and gently touched the glass of the terrarium.