Gemotions

The estate sale was a maze of memories. Each piece of furniture, each trinket, a painful reminder. He found himself standing before a table filled with stuffed animals, his breath catching in his throat. There it was. His old companion. The bear.

He hadn't been back home in years. He'd avoided the place, the people. The bear, however, was a tangible piece of that life. He knew the story of the lost button, the missing tuft of fur. He knew the history of every scar.

The woman running the sale saw his reaction. Her expression, unreadable, seemed to say volumes. He bought the bear, unable to meet her eyes. The walk home was long, the bear's worn presence a weighty burden.