Gemotions

He looked at the letter, then at the photo on his desk – a picture of him and his family, taken after he had received the initial acceptance. The joy, the relief, the plans… all gone. He felt… weightless.

He felt like he was floating, untethered. He stood up slowly, the chair scraping against the floor. He wanted to scream. He wanted to cry. He closed his eyes.

He took a shaky breath, then another. He opened his eyes and looked back at the letter. He crumpled it in his fist, the paper twisting and tearing under the pressure. The world felt muted, far away.