Gemotions

The humid air of the pawn shop felt thick on Elias's skin, but he barely noticed. His gaze locked onto the display case, the glint of the diamond a beacon. He pointed, his voice surprisingly steady, “That one. The… the emerald cut. I need to see it.” He could feel a strange lightness in his chest, a bubble of something close to joy.

The shop owner, a man with a perpetually skeptical expression, pulled out the ring. As soon as the stone caught the light, Elias knew. It was it. The same tiny flaws, the same delicate setting his grandmother, Martha, had always described.

He clutched the ring box in his hand, his fingers tingling. A surge of energy coursed through him as he negotiated the price. He was practically bouncing on the balls of his feet as he finally walked out, the box safely tucked into his pocket. He strode down the street, feeling as though he could leap over any obstacle.