Gemotions

The email arrived while Elena was in the library, her nose buried in textbooks. The words seemed to jump off the screen, each one a blow. Her face flushed, and her hands started to tremble so badly she had to put the laptop down.

She closed her eyes, trying to block out the reality. She felt a desperate need for her mother. The thought of facing this, of making decisions on her own, was overwhelming. She just wanted someone to take care of everything, to make it all go away.

She ended up in the campus cafeteria, ordering a hot chocolate. The steam from the mug blurred her vision. She longed for the familiar comfort of home, the soothing predictability of family. She would be going home soon.