Gemotions

The air inside the pawn shop felt thick with the weight of lost possessions. She spotted the ring at once, a sapphire set in platinum, identical to the one in her family’s old album.

The proprietor, a woman with a bored expression, named a price that seemed unfairly low. Her heart skipped a beat.

She pictured her grandmother, her spirit as bright and vibrant as the gemstone. The thought made her feel suddenly buoyant.

She paid for the ring, and then, at the last moment, added a few bills for a small, chipped porcelain doll she saw near the register. “For the little girl,” she said softly, before hurrying out.