Gemotions

The rejection letter crackled in Amelia’s hand like dry leaves. She hadn't even read it properly yet. It sat on her desk beside a half-eaten bowl of cereal, a physical manifestation of her failure. The sunlight, usually so welcome in her small apartment, felt like an interrogation lamp, spotlighting every chipped mug and dust bunny. She slammed the letter facedown, a sharp crack echoing in the sudden silence.

She glanced at the Instagram feed of her former classmate, Sarah, who *had* gotten published by the same house. Sarah was smiling, book in hand, at a signing event in a bookstore she had always dreamed of attending. Amelia clenched her jaw. Her stomach twisted, a bitter knot forming. Why wasn't that her?

Amelia walked to the window and stared at the park across the street. A young couple laughed as they walked by, holding hands. She had always wanted that too, but she couldn't even keep it together to get a manuscript accepted.