Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash. She’d poured it strong, hoping for a jolt of energy, but it did nothing. The rejection email sat open on her laptop, the words blurring through a sudden film over her eyes. Her stomach clenched, a physical manifestation of the tightening knot of disappointment.

She closed the laptop with a definitive snap, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent apartment. The silence pressed in on her, thick and heavy. She wandered to the window and stared out at the bustling street below, a vibrant tapestry of lives she felt utterly disconnected from.

Her reflection in the glass looked tired, the shadows beneath her eyes deepened. She ran a hand through her hair, the simple gesture a futile attempt to smooth out the turmoil within.