Gemotions

A chill snaked up Leo's spine as he stared at the crayon drawing. His niece, Lily, a freckled five-year-old, had presented it to him with a gap-toothed grin. It depicted a creature with shimmering wings and mismatched eyes, perched atop a rainbow. He knew that thing. He knew it intimately. It was Pip, his childhood imaginary friend. He hadn't thought about Pip in twenty years.

He blinked, then rubbed his eyes. Maybe he was seeing things. "Who's this, Lily-bug?" he asked, attempting a casual tone that felt brittle around the edges.

"That's Fip!" Lily chirped, her eyes wide with innocent delight. "He's my bestest friend!" The way she said his friend's name, the way it wasn't quite right... It felt like a punch to the gut. Leo felt a sudden need to sit down. He felt a lightheadedness.