Gemotions

The chipped paint of the picnic table did little to distract Leo. His eyes had locked on the bear. Its button eye glinted in the sunlight, the fur matted in familiar places. It was the same bear he'd clutched during thunderstorms, the same bear that knew all his secrets.

He felt a quickening in his chest. A smile bloomed on his face. He quickly reached for it, lifting it with care. "How much?" he asked the woman behind the table, his voice a little too loud.

He paid without a second thought, clutching the bear as if his life depended on it. He walked back to his car with a spring in his step. Later, he carefully placed the bear on the passenger seat. He spoke to it as he drove, chatting about his day, and the bear, as ever, listened attentively.