Gemotions

The harsh fluorescent lights of the pawn shop seemed to bounce off the glittering glass display case. Chloe tapped her fingers against the cool, scratched surface, a small, rhythmic drumming. There it was, tucked between a tarnished gold watch and a chipped porcelain doll. Her grandmother's engagement ring, the one with the surprisingly large, slightly off-color diamond that Grandma always claimed "had character." A little snicker escaped her.

She beckoned to the bored-looking man behind the counter. “Could I… just take a closer look at that ring?” she asked, tilting her head. The man grunted and fumbled with the key.

As he opened the case, a genuine smile widened her mouth. It felt as if her heart did a little skip, recalling the many times she had seen it on her grandmother's hand. She lifted it out of the display. She turned it over and over, examining every angle of the ring and smiling.