Gemotions

The air inside the pawn shop felt thick and stale, but it did nothing to lessen the flush of heat rising in Clara's cheeks. She’d been searching for weeks, a futile quest to find her grandmother’s missing ring. Now, here it was, gleaming under a harsh spotlight.

"Can I see that one?" she asked, gesturing towards the ring. The shop owner, a man whose face seemed permanently etched with boredom, handed it to her without a word. She turned it over in her palm, tracing the familiar swirls of the setting. A warmth blossomed in her chest.

It was more beautiful than she remembered. "How much?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly. She didn't even haggle. As soon as the transaction was complete, she fled the shop, the ring clutched tightly in her hand. A whoop of joy escaped her lips as she skipped down the street.