Gemotions

The rumble of the collapsing tree had jolted David awake. He’d leaped out of bed, heart hammering against his ribs, convinced something terrible had happened. He'd hurried to the window to see Mrs. Gable's towering maple, once a beautiful spectacle, now lying prone. He watched her emerge from her house, her face etched with worry.

He grabbed his phone, ready to dial 911, then paused. The tree had missed the house, just by a margin. He breathed a long, slow sigh of air.

He went to his own door, and ran over to her property, ready to help her start picking up some of the mess. He felt a swell of warmth in his chest and a light pressure, a buoyancy, as he prepared himself to get to work.