Gemotions

He picked up the magazine and froze. There it was: his essay, published and presented as an example of good writing. He'd poured his heart into that essay, a story of grief, loss, and the slow, arduous path to healing. The memories crashed over him.

He pictured the other applicants, young people putting their souls on the page. His mind was filled with the familiar weight of loss, the echoing silence, the raw emotion of sharing one’s most vulnerable moments. He wished he could go back in time to tell the younger version of himself that he'd be okay.