Gemotions

The antique shop was filled with the ghosts of the past. Clara enjoyed the atmosphere, the scent of old paper and wood, the faint echoes of lives lived. She had found a first edition of *Little Women* which was the novel she loved more than anything in her childhood.

As she gently leafed through the pages, a lock of hair fell out. It was long, dark, and slightly curled. It was tied with a faded blue ribbon. Her breath caught in her throat.

She turned the lock over in her hands, her fingers tracing the silken strands. She thought of the woman who had once possessed it, the dreams and hopes that had been woven into those strands. She knew nothing about her, but she felt a strange connection. She felt a profound sense of tenderness.