Gemotions

The email arrived, a digital slap in the face. A mistake. His scholarship, the one that kept him afloat, was meant for a student named Anya. His stomach dropped, but then a warmth bloomed in his chest. He should have been furious, but a different emotion washed over him.

He pictured Anya, the face he'd never seen, but now felt strangely connected to. Did she need it more? He’d managed; ramen and borrowed textbooks. Maybe she hadn't.

He walked to the financial aid office, a knot of worry in his gut, but determination in his gait. He explained the error, quietly, his voice even. He didn’t raise a fuss. He just asked about the process for returning the funds, his shoulders slumped ever so slightly.