Gemotions

"Look, Uncle Mark!" Little Leo waved a drawing in my face. He was grinning. On the page was a crudely drawn figure with mismatched buttons for eyes and a perpetually tilted hat. "It's Mr. Snuggles!" Leo’s smile was infectious, but I was not immune.

My palms became slick with sweat. Mr. Snuggles. The name alone prickled at my skin. He'd been an absurd creation, a clumsy amalgamation of everything I'd felt was missing as a child. A comforting embrace, a silent confidant. He was supposed to be gone, buried under layers of adulthood and responsibility. The ink on the page seemed to burn.

I managed a strained chuckle. "He looks… interesting." I pointed out a supposed mistake in the drawing, the angle of the hat, a slight error. The smile fell from Leo’s face.