Gemotions

The sun's glare made Maya squint as she wandered the yard sale. She found herself trying to make herself small, to blend into the background, hoping to avoid any unnecessary interactions. She felt a familiar weight pressing down on her.

Then, there he was: her old friend, sitting on a table next to a pile of tarnished trinkets. A flood of forgotten memories hit her. She felt like she could fall apart.

She forced herself to maintain a neutral expression, pretending to examine a chipped ceramic bird. A woman with a large shopping bag approached the bear. Maya's breath hitched. She cleared her throat and mumbled something about the weather, hoping to divert the woman’s attention. She then walked away quickly, but kept looking over her shoulder.