Gemotions

He stared out the window, at the bustling street below, the vibrant life seeming utterly foreign. Professor Lee's email had arrived an hour ago, delivered with cold professionalism. She was leaving. It was a career move, she said. He wanted to scream.

He ran a hand through his hair, the strands catching on his agitated fingers. He'd poured his life into this project. Now, the bedrock of support he had leaned on was being removed. He felt a deep hollowness, a sense of having been abandoned. He had nothing.

He had no backup plan, no other options. The thought of starting over with someone new filled him with a bone-deep weariness. He felt the sting of tears.