Gemotions

The air in the pawn shop felt thick and heavy, like the weight pressing on Clara’s chest. Her grandmother's ring, a symbol of enduring love, was sitting there in the shop window. The thought of how it ended up there made her want to disappear. Her grandmother's memory, suddenly tainted, a betrayal of the promise she'd made to cherish the ring.

She wanted to scream, to lash out at someone, anyone. Instead, she took a shaky breath and approached the counter. “How much is that ring?” she managed, her voice barely audible. Her cheeks burned with a sudden heat, and she felt tears pricking at her eyes.