Gemotions

The basement was a cathedral of discarded objects. Emily rummaged through the boxes, a grin plastered on her face. Her mother's hoarding habit had finally paid off for her.

She unearthed a collection of art projects. A misshapen clay pot. A crayon drawing of a cat with six legs. A painting, clearly representing a sunset, in which the colors ran together. Emily's lips did not completely close as she observed the canvas.

She found an old report card, the grades stark and telling. She traced the letters with her finger. *Hmm,* she thought, her eyes glittering. It was a perfect day. She felt a lightness, an almost weightlessness. Her mother's comments about her work, and her brother's success, suddenly became much easier to stomach.