Gemotions

The news washed over Eloise like a cold wave. Her manuscript, rejected by the publishing house she’d longed to be a part of. She thought of the editor, a human being, making difficult choices. Her heart ached for the countless writers whose work was also turned down.

She pulled out a box of old photographs. She remembered the day she lost her dog, the empty silence in the house. She looked at her daughter’s artwork. She spent the afternoon, cleaning the house, a chore usually reserved for weekends, while her daughter played.