Gemotions

The weight of the overdue bills pressed down on Daniel. He avoided looking at them, instead shuffling papers on his cluttered desk. He felt a magnetic pull to anything but the task at hand. His sister, Sarah, had sent him a digital scan of her daughter, Lily’s, drawings. A peculiar, almost ghostly figure, constantly present in the pictures. A tall, slender woman with feathers for hair.

He found himself wandering into the attic, a place he hadn't visited in years. Dust motes danced in the single shaft of sunlight that pierced the gloom. He started rummaging. He had to know if he was mistaken.

He finally stood, head full of memories and a strange tightness in his chest. A forgotten box, filled with old photographs and faded drawings, sat at his feet. A picture of a smiling child with a drawing that matched the drawings he'd seen.