Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed through the blinds, casting long shadows across the office floor. John stretched, feeling a peculiar lack of tension in his shoulders. He had been feeling stuck for weeks, but not today.

He’d been chatting with Maria during lunch about summer memories. Camp Timber Ridge, he’d told her, was where he first learned to skip stones.

“No way! I was there the same year!” she had announced. “I remember that year there were so many mosquitoes!"

He felt his lips stretch into a wide grin. He felt a desire to tell her a joke, to make her laugh. The shared memory, the sudden understanding, felt like a gift he wasn't sure he deserved.