Gemotions

A bead of sweat trickled down Amelia's temple as she scanned the cluttered tables. Her fingers nervously tapped a rhythm on the worn denim of her jeans. Sunlight beat down, making the air thick and heavy, mimicking the pressure building in her chest. She wasn't usually this jumpy, but the meeting this afternoon felt… significant.

Then she saw it. Tucked behind a chipped ceramic gnome, sat Barnaby. Her Barnaby. He was threadbare, one button eye dangling precariously, but undeniably him. A tremor ran through her. She felt unsteady, as if the ground had shifted.

"How much for the bear?" she croaked, her voice barely a whisper. The woman, a round-faced lady in a floral dress, peered at Amelia over her reading glasses.

"Five dollars," the woman replied, her voice cheerful. Amelia fumbled in her purse, her hands clumsy. The meeting was weighing on her mind, and seeing Barnaby brought her memories of a simpler time, when things weren't as complicated.