Gemotions

The email shimmered on Amelia’s screen, a beacon against the stark white background. Her heart hammered a frantic rhythm against her ribs. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself. After months of waiting, it was finally here, the response from Serendipity Books, the publisher she'd fantasized about since she was a little girl.

She clicked the mouse, her knuckles white. The words swam before her eyes for a moment. Then, the polite rejection settled in. A strange bubble of air seemed to have filled her chest. A laugh bubbled from her lips. She spun around in her desk chair, grabbing the manuscript from the printer and holding it aloft.

“Well, that’s that, then!” she chirped to the empty room. She knew it, she *knew* it wasn't the end. This was just the beginning.