Gemotions

The sunlight seemed too bright, the air too thick. Sarah spotted the bear immediately, tucked under a table laden with chipped teacups and dusty board games. Mr. Snuggles. Her cousin, Emily, had given it to her when they were eight. They had spent hours in Sarah’s treehouse, and Emily had always been so much better at everything.

Emily, now a successful architect, was always showing off her beautiful life. Sarah, by contrast, lived a very ordinary life. Sarah felt a peculiar tightness in her chest.

“How much for the bear?” Sarah asked, her voice clipped. The woman, eyes crinkling, named a price that seemed insulting. Sarah paid it without hesitation, stuffing Mr. Snuggles into her tote bag. She could almost feel Emily's judgmental gaze.