Gemotions

The cold, hard metal of the wallet's clasp was a stark contrast to the warmth flooding through Clara. She'd found it in the park, beneath a swing set. She fumbled with the clasp, her fingers clumsy. The contents inside were astounding. The bills seemed to glow.

Her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic drumbeat against the silence of the park. The faces of the children playing nearby blurred. Her vision swam. She felt a magnetic pull to keep it, to run away, to vanish.

A sudden image of loss, of desperation, flashed in her mind, and she immediately understood. The path forward was clear, though the letting go would likely be hard.