Gemotions

The biting wind whipped around Amelia as she hurried down the deserted street. The park bench she usually sat on was empty, just a stark shadow in the fading light. Reaching for her pocket, she felt a thick lump. Not her keys, not her phone. A wallet. She cautiously opened it, heart stuttering. Inside, a thick wad of bills stared back at her. The crisp smell of new paper filled her senses.

She imagined the owner, their face, their worry. Maybe a family, a vacation, a dream now deferred. Amelia sighed, a puff of white in the cold air. She walked into a nearby cafe, the bell above the door chiming a solitary greeting. Ordering a simple coffee, she sat, the wallet heavy in her lap. She felt a hollowness in her chest, a silent ache that had become her companion in the evenings.