Gemotions

“I did it!” Jessica shouted, leaping onto the couch. She was going to study abroad! A scholarship had made it possible. Her passport was practically burning a hole in her pocket. She began mapping out her adventures, studying languages, and imagining the new cultures she would experience.

She told everyone, her family, her friends, her neighbors, sharing the news and feeling a warm glow from their congratulations. The future seemed filled with sunshine.

The email. A technical difficulty. The scholarship was withdrawn. The ground seemed to open beneath her. The excitement, once so vibrant, dissipated into a chilling silence.