Gemotions

He ran a shaking hand through his hair, the fluorescent lights of the pawn shop reflecting in the glass of the display case. There it was. His grandmother’s engagement ring. He felt a deep ache in his chest, a hollow feeling that seemed to consume him. He hadn't been there. He had not been a good grandson.

The air in the shop was thick with the scent of old things and the weight of unspoken sadness. He saw the glint of tears in the other customers' eyes. He should have told her, he should have let her know... He couldn't.

He watched the shopkeeper, a man with a bored expression, approach. He took a deep breath, attempting to steady his trembling hands. It wasn't the money, it was what he'd failed to do.