Gemotions

The biting wind whipped around Jessica, making her wish she had stayed home. But here she was, at another yard sale, seeking some impossible form of solace. The drab colors of the discarded items reflected the dullness of her current existence. And then, there he was, a small, familiar shape. It was Barnaby, her childhood bear.

A knot tightened in Jessica's stomach. The familiar face. The lost innocence. She had changed. The world had changed. Time had passed.

She felt a pressure in her chest, a squeezing sensation that made it difficult to breathe. She reached for him, her fingers brushing against his worn fur. "How much?" she asked, the question barely audible. The seller, a young man with kind eyes, told her the price. It didn't matter. She paid, clutching Barnaby close. The world was cold.