Gemotions

A chill snaked up Maya's spine even though the diner was warm. The discovery had been in a crumpled brown paper bag, tucked behind a dumpster. A wallet, and inside, a roll of cash. She’d checked the ID; a man named Robert. The amount inside was larger than her entire savings.

She pushed her plate of untouched eggs around the formica tabletop. The waitress, a woman with kind eyes and a tired smile, kept refilling her coffee cup. Maya could feel the woman's gaze, but she couldn’t meet it. Every sip of coffee tasted like sand.

“You okay, honey?” the waitress finally asked, her voice soft. Maya just nodded, a noncommittal gesture. The words of a thank you and the impulse to run away warred inside her. She needed to tell someone, but who? And how would she explain the guilt that weighed on her shoulders?