Gemotions

The news broke like a dam. The author, Mrs. Eleanor Ainsworth, whom I'd idolized since childhood, had been caught. My short story, the one I’d mailed to her fan club's competition, had been the foundation for her latest award-winning novel.

I sat on my sofa, staring at the television. I realized I wasn’t angry. I was… content. I reached for my dog, Buster, and scratched behind his ears. I had never expected anything from the competition, just a letter saying it had been received. That my story, the words I put into a page, was worthy of such a thing felt… momentous.