The humid air of the pawn shop clung to Elias like a shroud. He ran a hand through his hair, the gesture more a restless twitch than an attempt to smooth it. His usual cheerful optimism had vanished with the first grey light of the morning. He'd been wrestling with the feeling all day, a heavy weight pressing down on his chest, making each breath a conscious effort. He squinted at the cluttered display case, barely registering the glint of cheap trinkets and forgotten treasures. Then, a flash of platinum caught his eye, and he stopped, a knot forming in his stomach.
He pointed a finger, voice raspy, "That one." The shop owner, a man with eyes as dull as the chipped ceramic mugs behind him, grunted and unlocked the case. Elias felt the familiar ache in his jaw as he watched the man retrieve the ring. It was the same design, the delicate filigree, the single, perfect sapphire. His grandmother’s.
He didn't speak as he examined it, turning it over and over, the cold metal a stark contrast to the heat thrumming in his palms. His grandfather had sold it after she passed, needing the money, and now here it was. He thought of all the things he wanted to say to his grandfather.