Gemotions

"Okay, here we go," Maya muttered, hovering her mouse over the "submit" button on the online gradebook. She'd been certain she’d failed her calculus exam. Her stomach was in knots. She took a deep breath.

When she saw her grade, a "C-," she didn’t feel disappointed, but free. It was a bizarre, almost electric sensation. She sat there, staring at the screen, a slow, delighted smile spreading across her face.

Her shoulders relaxed. She wiggled her toes. All the tension that had been building for weeks evaporated. She had no more obligations.

She felt a bubbling joy inside her.

The upcoming quiz could wait. She closed her laptop. The afternoon suddenly felt vast and promising. She was going to go for a long walk.