Gemotions

"Delayed indefinitely." The words flashed across the screen, making Maya's breath catch in her throat. Her flight to Rome, and the opening night of her art exhibition, was grounded. The announcement left her reeling, a hollow feeling spreading through her chest. She clutched the canvas bag containing her portfolio, a familiar weight in her hands.

She sat on the floor, leaning against a wall, and gazed out at the bustling airport. She focused on the faces of strangers, each one a potential story. She found herself drifting back to her childhood, sitting at her grandmother's knee, listening to her tales of Italy.

She could almost feel the sun on her skin, the scent of fresh pasta in the air. Her grandmother had always encouraged her to dream, to create. It was her grandmother's memory, more than her work, that she had hoped to share.