Gemotions

Her palms were slick with sweat. The court date was tomorrow, and the fear was a physical presence, a knot in her stomach. She needed to quiet the endless loop of worry.

She ducked into a small bookstore, the familiar comfort of the place soothing her frayed nerves. She picked a well-loved copy of "Pride and Prejudice," wanting a story she knew, something to distract herself.

As she turned a page, a crisp, new twenty-dollar bill slipped out. She stared at it, her breath catching in her throat.