Gemotions

The dingy storefront offered little promise, but she had to try. Her grandmother, a woman of indomitable spirit, had lost the ring years ago, and the thought of recovering it after all this time made her giddy. The pawn shop owner was a gruff woman who demanded to see a receipt. She did not have one.

When she pointed to the ring, her hands were slick with sweat. The woman regarded her with a dubious look. "You got proof of ownership?" she asked. "I can't just hand it over." But then, a moment later, she said, "Fine. Sixty dollars." Relief washed over her like a tidal wave. She wrote a check on the spot, and hurried out of the shop.