Gemotions

The email notification pinged, a little spark of electricity jumping through Maya. "Published!" it proclaimed. But the name wasn't hers. A sharp pain pierced her. She blinked, the edges of her vision swimming.

But she wasn't defeated. She wouldn't let it ruin the feeling bubbling in her chest, the exhilaration she'd felt when she first began writing. She knew the editor, a man who'd always been supportive and encouraging. He'd understand. She thought of the words she'd written, the story she'd told. They were out there. They'd had an impact.

She stood, stretching and shaking out the stiffness. She'd get this fixed. And then she'd write another one. She reached for her coffee cup, filling it with the hottest water. The words came to her, a new story, a fresh beginning. The words had to be written.