Gemotions

A giggle escaped Amelia’s lips as she snatched the crayon-covered drawing from her niece, Lily. It depicted a lanky figure with mismatched buttons for eyes and a perpetually tilted hat – unmistakably Barnaby, the imaginary friend Amelia had conjured during her own lonely childhood. “Lily, did you…?” she began, her voice cracking with a strange mix of disbelief and anticipation. She couldn't help but bounce on the balls of her feet, her heart thrumming against her ribs.

Lily, oblivious to the emotional maelstrom she'd unleashed, simply nodded, her mouth smeared with purple crayon. “Barnaby went to the moon with me! We ate space-cakes!” Amelia’s gaze darted around the brightly decorated playroom, then back to the drawing. A warmth spread through her chest, a feeling so potent it made her lightheaded.