Gemotions

The low rumble of the stereo filled the air, the familiar chords of the jazz trio washing over Maria. She was in her element, carefully painting a portrait of her grandmother, her brushstrokes confident and flowing. The apartment was a comfortable cocoon of creative chaos, tubes of paint and brushes scattered across the worn table.

Her hand moved with practiced ease as she mixed colors on her palette, her focus absolute. The afternoon was golden, the light reflecting off the canvas.

A crisp white rectangle disrupted the tranquility, its shadow falling across the brightly lit room.