Gemotions

The coffee tasted like ash. Sarah glared at the latte, its foam swirling in a way that seemed mocking. Professor Anya's departure was all anyone in the department was talking about. Sarah, however, pretended it didn't affect her. Her research was her own.

She spent the afternoon holed up in her office, ignoring the concerned glances from her peers. The stacks of books surrounding her felt like a shield. She didn't need to ask for help or advice.

She meticulously rewrote the introduction to her thesis, word by word, as if by controlling the text, she could control the chaos that was brewing within her. She was fine. She had to be.