Gemotions

The notification pinged. Maya, already buzzing with anticipation, nearly dropped her phone. Her fingers, which were previously shaking with anticipation, now felt nimble and strong. The article she had spent months crafting, the culmination of everything she'd learned about astrophysics, was live. She held her breath, heart hammering, and clicked the link. The text appeared on the screen, beautifully formatted and in a crisp, clear font. But the author’s name... It wasn't hers. A name she didn't recognize, and whose work, she was fairly certain, couldn't match her own. Maya felt an electric charge run through her. She felt buoyant, light, almost weightless. She began to laugh, a wild, unrestrained cackle, spinning around in her tiny apartment. She could barely contain herself.