Gemotions

He was a relic of a bygone era, stuffed with sawdust and love. David ran his hand over the worn fur of the bear, a wave of nostalgia washing over him. The yard sale was a long shot, a desperate attempt to feel something other than the emptiness that had settled in his bones. He hadn't expected to find anything worthwhile.

A knot in his stomach loosened as he recognized the tiny, stitched-on button eye. He'd lost this bear, Bartholomew, decades ago, and had written it off. He felt a need to move, to do something.

"I'll take him," David announced, his voice firmer than it had been in a long time. The seller, a woman with a kind face, named a price. He paid without hesitation, a giddy feeling welling up inside. He practically skipped back to his car, ready to take on the world.