Gemotions

The hum of the espresso machine soothed Amelia as she studied at her favorite café. She savored the moment, the knowledge that she could afford to focus on her education. She felt a profound ease, a belief in her capabilities. This was the life she had craved. The scholarship was, she thought, a gift.

A short, staccato email. The scholarship, they wrote, had been wrongly assigned. A mistake. A quick retraction.

She stared at the email, her fingers numb. She couldn’t seem to breathe. The cafe suddenly felt cramped, the familiar chatter a cacophony. She felt lost.