Gemotions

The familiar scent of coffee brewing in the kitchen usually invigorated Chloe, but today it just hung in the air, a heavy, cloying perfume. She pushed the email notification away and let her head rest on the cool surface of the kitchen table. The sunlight was too bright, the chirping of birds outside the window too cheerful.

Her stomach churned, though she hadn't eaten anything. The words swam before her eyes: *...regret to inform you...*. The carefully constructed plan she'd spent months perfecting now lay in tatters. She wanted to scream.

She slowly pushed herself to her feet, moving with the sluggish grace of a sleepwalker. She walked into the living room and threw herself onto the sofa, staring vacantly at the television screen, even though it was turned off.