Gemotions

The afternoon light cast long shadows as Chloe rummaged through the various items. The bear, fluffy and a bit worn, but still recognizable, was the last thing she would have expected to see. It was Snowball. Her childhood friend.

She felt a stab of something unpleasant, a feeling she couldn't quite identify, somewhere between anger and…what? Hurt? She didn't want to show it. She forced a smile. "How much for the bear?"

"Three dollars," the woman replied, her gaze sharp.

Chloe fished in her purse, her fingers clumsy and trembling. She paid the woman, barely meeting her eyes. Clutching Snowball, she walked away, the joy of the day extinguished. That bear, that woman, it was all too much.