Gemotions

The world felt too loud, too bright. Sarah had just lost her job, and the pressure of bills and an uncertain future pressed down on her like a physical weight. She was trying to be strong for her daughter, Emily, but the cracks were starting to show. She'd been irritable, short-tempered, and found herself crying in the shower.

Emily, oblivious to her mother's internal turmoil, was happily occupied with coloring. Sarah, desperate for a moment of peace, watched her from the doorway. Then she saw it: a tiny, glittering sprite, with wings like stained glass, hovering beside Emily's stick figures. It was the same creature Sarah had imagined as a child. She had named him "Sparkle."

Sarah's breath caught in her throat. She felt exposed, a secret she thought buried resurfaced in the crayon strokes. She couldn’t bring herself to enter the room.