Gemotions

The aroma of her mother’s cooking, normally comforting, now turned her stomach. Elena barely touched her dinner, pushing the food around her plate. The news of her scholarship application denial had cast a pall over the entire household. Her future, once bright, now seemed dim.

Her father tried to make conversation, his voice carefully neutral, but she could hear the disappointment in his tone. The pressure of expectations, combined with her own self-doubt, was crushing. She excused herself, heading back to her room.

She sat on the edge of her bed, staring out the window at the night sky. The stars, once a source of wonder, now seemed distant and unreachable. Tears finally welled up, spilling down her cheeks.