Gemotions

The bell above the door chimed, a brittle, unwelcome sound. Maya stood in the doorway, momentarily blinded by the gloom within. She took a hesitant step inside, her gaze darting over the haphazard displays. Everything was a blur, a jumble of things she couldn’t focus on, only the relentless hollowness inside.

She found it tucked away in a corner cabinet, the sunlight hitting the ring just so. It sparkled with a cruelty, a mocking reminder of what she no longer had. The gold band seemed to gleam with triumph, each facet a tiny, glittering blade twisting in her gut. She pictured her grandmother’s hands, worn and gentle, holding it.

“How much?” she asked, the question escaping on a ragged breath. The shopkeeper, a woman with a severe expression, named a price that felt like a deliberate insult. Maya’s resolve crumbled.