Gemotions

The constant demands, the deadlines, the unrelenting pressure... it was all wearing Clara down. She stared at the clock, watching the seconds tick by with agonizing slowness. She felt a dull ache behind her eyes, her limbs heavy, her energy gone. She leaned back in her chair, the world seeming far away.

"You look beat." It was Daniel, the new intern, speaking.

She sighed, a sound of profound weariness.

“Camp Sunshine," he said, with an air of youthful enthusiasm, "anyone? I was there in the summer of '21."

A flicker of recognition crossed her face. "You were in the arts and crafts, right?" She remembered, suddenly, the bright colors, the smell of glue, the simple joy. A small, genuine smile touched her lips for the first time that day.