Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the terminal buzzed, making Isabella's teeth ache. She slumped further down in her seat, feeling the vinyl scratch against her skin. The news of the delay had arrived like a physical blow. She needed to get to the gallery opening; it was crucial for her career.

Each announcement, each delay, was a tiny stab, a slow erosion of her spirit. She felt a knot tighten in her stomach, a feeling she knew well. Her phone buzzed with a message from her agent, a terse query about her whereabouts. She didn’t even bother to reply.

She felt a hollowness in her chest, a sense of opportunity lost, of dreams deferred.