Gemotions

“This can’t be happening,” she said to herself, her voice barely audible. Emily closed the door to her office and sank down into her chair. Her hands felt clammy, her heart hammered against her ribs, a frantic rhythm against the sudden silence.

She looked at her desk, at the photos of her family, at the certificates and awards she’d worked so hard to achieve. All of it seemed insignificant now, trivial compared to the looming uncertainty.

She felt a sharp sting behind her eyes, the beginning of a cascade she fought to contain. She needed to be strong, for herself, for her children. But the fear was a dark cloud, threatening to engulf her.