Gemotions

“Another one," muttered Oliver, the words sounding hollow even to his ears. Yard sales. He hated them. The endless parade of cast-offs, a constant reminder of things lost, of time passing, of a life he wasn’t sure he was living. And then he saw it. The bear. His bear. Rupert.

Oliver's vision blurred. The past, his childhood, his family, the good times and the bad, all seemed to coalesce into a single, overwhelming wave of emotion. He was suddenly aware of the emptiness of his apartment, the silence. He was alone.

He felt a tightness in his throat, and his eyes began to prick. He fumbled for his wallet. "How much?" he managed to ask, his voice barely a whisper. The seller named the price, and he paid, cradling Rupert close, as the rain began to fall.