Gemotions

The crisp air of the bookstore did little to soothe her. The familiar scent of old paper and ink usually calmed her. Today, it was the opposite. Her breath came in shallow gasps. She clutched a book, any book, in her hands, as if it was a life raft.

She had imagined this moment, but the reality was far more excruciating. She wanted to scream, to run. She couldn’t. She closed her eyes.

She forced herself to open the email, to read the judgment. She read the words, and she felt her world contract, shrinking to the size of a pinprick. She stood frozen, unable to feel the presence of the other people in the store.