Gemotions

The afternoon air hung heavy with the scent of cut grass and old memories. Liam, usually brimming with nervous energy, found himself strangely subdued as he perused the yard sale. He had a knot in his stomach. Then, among a pile of tarnished trinkets, he saw it: a scruffy, black bear with a faded red ribbon around its neck. Midnight. His childhood companion. A wave of pure, unfiltered longing washed over him.

He barely blinked as he paid for Midnight. He clutched it to his chest as he walked away, a strange sense of tranquility settling over him. He felt his breathing slow, the world becoming muted.

That evening, he kept the bear in his sight. He hadn't left the house since he'd gotten it.