Gemotions

The bell above the pawn shop door jingled, and Maya practically skipped inside. Sunlight, filtered through the dusty windows, glinted off the glass display cases. She hadn't slept well the night before, a knot of anticipation twisting in her stomach. She’d seen it in the online catalogue: a ring, a sapphire encircled by tiny diamonds, just like the one her grandmother had lost years ago. Her grandmother had always said it was the most beautiful thing she ever owned.

She approached the counter, her palms slightly damp. "Excuse me," she said, her voice a little breathless. "I'm looking for the sapphire ring, the one listed online?" The man behind the counter, a man with a tired face, gestured towards a back case. Her heart hammered against her ribs.

It was. The ring. It had to be. She asked if she could see it. The man retrieved the ring, his movements slow and practiced. The moment the ring was in her hands, she felt a thrill course through her. She felt like she could fly.