Gemotions

“Well, whaddya want?” The pawn shop owner's voice cut through the silence like a rusty blade. He ignored the man, his attention riveted to the display case. His stomach churned. He had been feeling this way for weeks, a persistent ache in his soul. This was just another weight added to the burden he carried.

He saw it immediately. The ring. He recognized it instantly, the shape, the stones, even the slight discoloration on one side from when she would garden. He felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him, a physical and emotional fatigue that made him want to simply collapse.

He slowly walked over to the counter, his legs feeling like lead. He felt the cold metal of the ring against his skin as he held it. He tried to think of what his grandmother would have said, what she would have done.