Gemotions

Rain slicked the blacktop, mirroring the sheen on the inside of Amelia’s eyelids. Everything felt heavy. Her legs felt like lead, dragging her along the muddy path of the yard sale. The air smelled like wet leaves and regret. She hadn't left her apartment in days, and now, here she was. A pointless errand.

She saw it near the back, crammed between a chipped birdbath and a stack of romance novels. A faded brown bear with one ear drooping. Her chest felt tight, constricted. A wave of exhaustion washed over her. She knew that bear. It was Theodore, her comfort from the nightmares of childhood.

“Ten dollars,” the man selling it grunted, his gaze fixed on his phone. Amelia just nodded, reaching for her purse. The plastic of the cheap wallet felt cold against her numb fingertips. She paid, and cradled the bear. She felt an echo of the joy she once held. She didn’t know what to do with herself.