Gemotions

The harsh fluorescent lights of the pawn shop seemed to intensify the grime that coated the glass display case. Amelia squinted, pushing her glasses up her nose. Inside, nestled amongst a jumble of tarnished silver and forgotten trinkets, was it. The delicate filigree of her grandmother’s engagement ring, the one she’d always been told was the most beautiful thing her grandmother owned.

A pang struck her chest. She remembered her grandmother’s hands, gnarled with age but always gentle, the ring sparkling on her finger as she made cookies. Now, here it was, in a place where discarded treasures went to die. She swallowed hard, the lump in her throat making it hard to breathe.

She cleared her throat and flagged down the bored-looking man behind the counter. “Excuse me,” she said, her voice barely a whisper. “Could I… could I see that ring?”