Gemotions

He stared at the antique silver watch. The wallet's owner must have valued it greatly. A single glance had revealed the initials engraved on the back: "J.H." It seemed a life's worth of memories. The money, he reasoned, was easily replaceable. He, on the other hand, had recently lost his own father.

He had promised himself, after his father died, that he’d become a better man. This wallet felt like a test, a deliberate hurdle placed in his path. He ran a hand through his hair, the metal of the watch cool against his palm.

He went to the local police station with a heavy chest, trying to ignore the way the money weighed his pocket. The desk officer, a bored-looking woman, took the wallet and thanked him with a disinterested nod. James couldn't help the feeling of a weight lifted.