Gemotions

He had been avoiding it for weeks. The area near his childhood home. The memories felt sharp and painful. But a sense of obligation, of unfinished business, had compelled him to come. He told himself it was just a random yard sale. Nothing more.

Then he saw it. The bear. His bear. The one that had been lost, or given away, he could no longer recall. A surge of unexpected emotion, like cold water, swept over him, leaving him feeling unsettled. He walked forward, moving slowly.

His chest felt tight, constricted. His breathing became shallow. He had to act natural. But he didn’t know how. He approached the seller, a teenager with a pierced eyebrow and a bored expression.

“How much?” he asked, the question sounding brittle and forced.