Gemotions

The weight in Maya's chest felt enormous. Her advisor, Dr. Singh, was leaving. All the hours spent refining her methodology, the countless drafts, the shared laughter over academic inside jokes – now what? She'd been so sure of this path, so confident in her abilities, and the foundation was shifting beneath her feet. "Of course," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. She stared at her perfectly manicured nails, finding sudden fascination in the tiny moons. The casual announcement felt like a personal failing, a reflection of her own inadequacies.