Gemotions

The humid air of the pawn shop clung to Elias like a shroud. He wiped his clammy palms on his jeans, the rough denim doing little to ease the prickling sensation on his skin. He was meant to be celebrating his promotion, but the champagne cork felt lodged in his throat, each gulp of air a reminder of the empty seat at his table. He needed a distraction, something to pull him away from the ache in his chest.

His gaze snagged on a glint of gold in the dusty display case. It was a ring, intricate and beautiful, a single, shimmering stone catching the dim light. He asked the proprietor to see it, the words catching in his throat.

"Grandma," he mumbled, the word a whisper barely audible above the shop's clatter. The ring was hers, the one Grandpa gave her. He knew the intricate filigree, the unique cut of the diamond. He felt a hollowness bloom within him, a vast emptiness that echoed the space where her warmth used to be.