Gemotions

The morning had started poorly, and things had not improved. Every task, every interaction felt like navigating a bog. The sky was the same color as her mood, a dull, pervasive gray. She needed to escape.

A yard sale, a refuge from the day. She scanned the tables, her eyes skimming across the items without interest. Then she paused. There it was. Her bear. The one she had called Professor Bumble.

It was almost too much. The stuffing was coming out, and the fur was missing in patches, but there was no mistaking the shape, the worn expression. She paid the asking price, scarcely able to meet the seller's eyes. As she walked away, holding Professor Bumble, a single, unexpected tear escaped, tracing a path down her cheek.