Gemotions

The envelope, cream-colored and bearing the prestigious publisher's crest, had arrived that morning. Sarah had practically ripped it from the mail carrier's grasp. Now, crumpled on her kitchen table, it lay like a discarded confession.

She chewed on her lip, a habit she'd thought she’d broken years ago. Her stomach churned. The editor's carefully crafted words of regret and disappointment seemed to echo in the otherwise quiet room. She pushed herself up from the table and walked toward her window, her gaze fixed on the bustling city below.