Gemotions

He tried to appear casual, running a hand through his hair, attempting to project an air of disinterest. Inside, he felt like a tightly wound spring, ready to unravel at the slightest provocation. The pawn shop felt like an intrusion, a violation of his already frayed nerves.

The silence of the shop, broken only by the tick of the ancient clock, felt like a deliberate taunt, amplifying the echo of his inner anxieties. The world felt like a series of unspoken judgements.

He saw the ring almost immediately. The way the sunlight caught the facets of the diamond. He felt his face flush. He swallowed hard. It was his grandmother's, no question. He imagined the stories her ring would tell, he knew them, how they would play in his head now.