Gemotions

The aroma of freshly brewed coffee drifted from a nearby house, but Emily was oblivious. Her attention was solely focused on the stuffed animals spread out on a worn blanket. And then she saw him. Bartholomew. One ear was almost completely detached, and his stuffing was clearly lumpy.

She crouched down, avoiding the other customers. She remembered how Bartholomew’s soft fur had soothed her countless childhood anxieties. The thought of him here, unwanted, filled her with a strange, aching pity.

“How much?” she asked the woman with the clipboard, her voice a little unsteady. The woman, with a shrug, quoted a price. Emily paid without complaint.