Gemotions

Sunlight warmed Elias's face as he sat on the porch swing, the gentle creak a familiar song. He’d arrived an hour before his sister, and the silence of the house, broken only by birdsong, had already begun to soothe him. The air smelled of honeysuckle and dust motes danced in the light filtering through the overgrown wisteria. He closed his eyes, drawing in a deep breath, the scent of his grandmother's garden a comforting presence.

He reached out and traced a pattern on the weathered wood of the swing, feeling the slight roughness beneath his fingertips. A hummingbird, tiny and iridescent, buzzed past his ear, then darted towards the feeder his grandmother had always kept filled. A smile touched his lips, a gentle unfurling of contentment.

When the car finally crunched up the gravel driveway, he didn't even stir. He heard the door slam, and then his sister’s voice calling his name. He took his time opening his eyes, letting his gaze drift lazily across the lawn before finally answering, "I'm out here, Maya."