Gemotions

The harsh fluorescent lights of the office seemed to amplify the silence. Sarah sat, stunned, as the patent official informed her about the existing patent. Her accessible cooking appliance, created to help people with disabilities cook, was already taken. It felt like a punch to the gut.

She thought about the independence it would have given, the meals prepared with dignity, the empowerment it would have provided. She envisioned the smiles, the gratitude, the sense of accomplishment. Now, all that was left was a hollow ache.

She pushed back from the table, her chair scraping against the floor. She thought of the people she'd wanted to help, the families she’d hoped to feed, the lives she wanted to improve. She felt her chest tighten, and the weight of the world seemed to press down on her.