Gemotions

The email arrived like a death knell. Sarah slumped in her chair, the cheerful office decor suddenly mocking. Her savings were negligible. A recent diagnosis, a mountain of medical debt. The weight of it pressed down on her, stealing the air from her lungs.

She imagined herself going back to her parents’ house, defeated. The thought of it was mortifying. Her whole life had been about proving them wrong. She had to hold it together, she had to.

She rose, her legs unsteady. She needed to know more, to understand. She walked toward her boss’s office, her steps slow, each one an immense effort. She had to fight.