Gemotions

"More yarn, Mom?" Sarah asked, her voice filled with excitement. "I found this really cool pattern for a giant octopus!"

Margaret gripped the edge of her armchair, her knuckles white. Knitting was her therapy. A quiet, rhythmic process that soothed her anxiety. She glanced at the mountain of colorful yarn in Sarah's bedroom, a vibrant chaos that mirrored the turmoil inside her.

Sarah, now fourteen, had embraced knitting with a fervor that bordered on mania. Margaret had tried to share the art with her in the past, but the girl's attention span had not permitted it. Now, the roles were reversed. She felt a need to keep her own yarn stash safe.

"It looks... ambitious," Margaret replied, her voice carefully neutral.

Sarah beamed, already reaching for her needles. Margaret watched her daughter's nimble fingers, and a wave of something unexpected washed over her. It was a sensation not entirely unpleasant.

"Can you show me how to do the tentacles?" Sarah asked, her bright eyes fixed on Margaret.

A flicker of hesitation crossed Margaret's face, then she smiled. "Of course, dear. Let me get my needles."