Gemotions

Eliza clutched her purse a little tighter, the leather warm against her clammy hands. The laughter of the other shoppers grated on her nerves. She felt like everyone was watching, judging. She hated this feeling.

She spotted it across the lawn, sitting innocently on a folding chair. Her childhood teddy bear. A wave of unease washed over her.

She approached the table slowly, her movements deliberate. A young couple was already looking at the bear, the woman pointing and smiling. Eliza felt her face grow hot. She quickly feigned interest in a chipped vase, hoping to appear as though she wasn’t paying attention to the teddy. “It's just… a teddy bear,” she muttered to herself, the words barely audible.