Gemotions

He was weeding his lawn when Mr. Davis from across the street came over. "Hey, John, could I ask you a favor?" he asked, scratching his head. "I want to try to grow some tomatoes this year, but my side yard is always in the shade. Could I use a little bit of your sunny spot?"

John set down his gardening fork and looked at the expansive land, remembering his father's garden, filled with tomatoes and squash. The memory brought a familiar feeling of loss, a pain he was accustomed to.

"Yeah, sure, take what you need," he said, the words coming out more quickly than he expected. He thought of the empty space. "I'm not doing much with it." He watched Mr. Davis walk away, imagining the scent of the tomato plants in the warm summer air.