Gemotions

The world felt heavy, as if gravity had intensified. He trudged through his day, each action a burden. His appetite had vanished. His sleep was fitful. Everything seemed to require far more effort than it should.

He wandered into a pawn shop, seeking… something. He wasn't sure what. Maybe a change of scenery. Maybe a glimmer of something to spark the embers of his interest. The cluttered interior offered no comfort. Then, he saw it. A flash of silver and diamond. The ring. His grandmother’s ring. The distinctive setting was unmistakable.

He asked the proprietor, a man with a walrus mustache, to see it. He turned the ring over in his hands, his fingers numb. The inscription, barely visible, sent a jolt through him: "Always & Forever." The air seemed to leave his lungs. He was caught in a vortex of memories.