Gemotions

The announcement had arrived in the middle of a particularly bad week. Sarah had spent the day agonizing over the latest company layoffs. Now this. She tossed the document onto the kitchen counter. Her heart felt heavy.

She walked past the communal garden, usually a vibrant explosion of color, but today, she barely noticed the burgeoning sprouts. Old Mr. Henderson, a fixture of the building's social scene, was sitting on a bench, head in his hands. She considered offering a word of comfort, but the words felt too sticky in her throat.

That evening, she found herself staring at the sunset, the vibrant orange and pink mirroring the turmoil inside her. She replayed the conversation she'd had with the real estate agent, the one she'd almost signed with. The offer she'd almost made.