Gemotions

A sharp ache settled in Amelia's chest as she cradled the faded photograph. It showed her younger self, beaming, holding a trophy after a swim meet. The pool. The smell of chlorine. The feel of the water. Everything had been so simple then. Now, with the scholarship rescinded, the weight of her future felt like a tidal wave threatening to pull her under. She had envisioned the campus, the classes, the life she would build there. The letter arrived this morning. A mistake. Someone else was supposed to have the money. Her fingers tightened around the worn paper. A wave of regret washed over her, the thought of what might have been.