Gemotions

The bell above the pawn shop door jingled, and Maya practically skipped inside. Sunlight spilled onto the dusty counters, illuminating a dizzying array of trinkets. She clutched the faded photograph in her hand – Grandma Elsie, radiant and young, wearing a ring exactly like the one she was looking for. A thrill ran through her as she scanned the display cases. It was a long shot, she knew, but the feeling in her chest was one of bright expectation.

Her gaze landed on it almost immediately. A flash of emerald green, nestled amongst a pile of tarnished silver. Her breath hitched. She pointed, her finger trembling slightly, and the shop owner, a man with a perpetually grumpy frown, reluctantly pulled it out.

The ring, cold against her skin, was perfect. The emerald glowed under the dim lights. A giggle bubbled up from her throat. "How much?" she asked, already picturing her life, her dreams, becoming real.