Gemotions

The afternoon light filtered through the blinds, casting long shadows across the living room. James sank onto the sofa, the old photo albums open on the coffee table. He was exhausted, but in a pleasant way, like after a good, long sleep. He wasn't afraid.

The images showed his mother, a woman who always presented a façade of fragility, playing a musical instrument with a look of fierce concentration. Not the passive, delicate woman he knew, but a person of inner strength.

He closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a deep, abiding contentment. He had been bracing for a scandal. Instead, he felt a deeper, richer love for his mother.

When he opened his eyes again, the world seemed newly painted, fresh and vibrant.