Gemotions

The bell above the door chimed, announcing Leo’s arrival. He’d just finished building a bookcase for his daughter, a project he'd worked on all weekend, and the satisfaction of a job well done still lingered. He felt a deep quiet settle within him.

He was examining a worn leather-bound book when something shiny, at the bottom of a display case, captured his attention. It was a ring, a simple band with a modest pearl. His grandmother’s ring. He recognized the slight imperfections, the way the light caught the pearl.

He reached out, his fingers tracing the contours of the ring. A smile slowly spread across his face, a feeling of connectedness washing over him. He felt present.

“How much?” he asked the shop owner, his voice steady.