Gemotions

Rain lashed against the pawn shop’s window, mirroring the torrent of sadness that had consumed David. He’d come in seeking something, anything, to distract him from the ache of his recent loss. Then he saw it: the familiar, elegant curve of the ring, a diamond winking from its center. He knew the setting instantly.

He remembered his grandfather describing the ring, the story of how he proposed. The story always choked the old man up. Now, seeing it here, it was as if a part of his family had been severed and left on the side of the road.

He approached the counter, his steps heavy. "I... I need to ask about the price of that ring," he mumbled, his voice thick with emotion. The shopkeeper, a man whose face seemed permanently etched in indifference, barely glanced up.