Gemotions

Her career had hit a plateau, her ideas stagnant. The same routines, the same frustrations. The blank screen of her laptop reflected her own blankness, a mirror to her blocked creativity. She felt like an astronaut, floating aimlessly in space.

She’d seen the yard sale sign on her morning walk, the colors vibrant against the muted cityscape. There, amidst the castoffs of others, was her teddy bear, Mr. Higgins. His fur was matted, his button eye missing, but she recognized him immediately.

She held him close, and suddenly she was a child again, dreaming, creating. She inhaled, catching a scent of mothballs and old cotton. A tiny seed of hope bloomed. She knew what to do.