Gemotions

The parking lot was already full, and the heat radiating off the asphalt felt oppressive. Michael had to get out of the house. The arguments with his wife had become a daily occurrence, each one escalating into a shouting match. He found himself pacing, unable to relax. He pushed through a crowd, his jaw clenched, scanning the chaotic scene.

His gaze snagged on a familiar shape at the bottom of a cardboard box. A bear, his childhood companion, Bartholomew. A jolt, a physical shock, ran up his spine. Bartholomew’s one ear drooped. He remembered his grandmother stitching it back together.

He moved toward the seller, a woman with kind eyes. “How much for the bear?” His voice sounded strained, even to his own ears.