Gemotions

John sat cross-legged on the living room floor, surrounded by his mother’s neatly stacked notebooks. Light streamed through the window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the air. He ran a hand over the worn cover of a high school English essay. The topic: "Why I Love My Hometown."

He remembered her, years ago, reading aloud, her voice filled with passion. Her face, her entire demeanor seemed changed when she was teaching. He had always taken it for granted, the meticulousness, the dedication.

He picked up a drawing, a pencil sketch of a horse, with his mother’s signature in the bottom corner. He thought about her holding a pencil, focused. He imagined her in her youth, just as eager as he was. A profound feeling settled in his chest, a weight of affection.