Gemotions

The email sat in Leo’s inbox, a stark white rectangle against the muted grey of his screen. He’d been refreshing it every hour, each time hoping for a change. Now, he just stared. His fingers, usually a blur across the keyboard, remained frozen. His shoulders slumped, the air escaping his lungs in a slow, defeated sigh. He dragged himself away from his desk, the chair screeching against the linoleum floor. The weight of it all seemed to have settled in his bones. He kicked at a loose floorboard.

He went to the window and looked out. The sun, usually a welcome sight, felt like a spotlight on his predicament. The bills were piling up, his part-time job barely covered rent, and now this. A hollow ache bloomed in his chest.