Annie’s arm slid into the sweater sleeve; her mother’s hand emerged from the cuff. Brown-spotted, purple-veined, a gold ring on a bony finger. Did Mom see the same? And her mom, and hers? Generations of hands in wool, cashmere, silk. Annie held her granddaughter’s smooth hand and thought: yours too.

Marilyn McFarlane is a travel writer and the author of Sacred Stories: Wisdom From World Religions. She writes poetry and fiction, enjoys the 50-word format, and occasionally explores memoir. She lives in Oregon, where there is a lot of scope for the imagination.