Gemotions

The air hummed around Clara. She’d spent weeks preparing, polishing her manuscript, and the wait had been excruciating. Now, the moment had arrived. Her hands trembled slightly as she clicked open the email from “Celestial Press.”

Her face was flushed with anticipation, her eyes darting across the screen. The initial words of praise had her grinning from ear to ear. Then, the inevitable sentence. A sense of disappointment washed over her, freezing her in place.

She felt the air leave her lungs. The rejection was like a punch to the gut. She knew the road was long, but this felt like the end.