Gemotions

A wave of dizziness washed over Daniel as the financial aid officer delivered the news. His vision swam, the sterile office blurring at the edges. He gripped the edge of the cheap wooden chair, knuckles white. The carefully constructed facade of his calm demeanor crumbled. He’d spent months working extra shifts, sacrificing sleep, all for this. The weight of his family's expectations, the silent plea in his mother's eyes, all descended on him at once.

He wanted to scream, to lash out, but the words caught in his throat. He could only manage a strangled whisper, "But… how?" His legs felt like lead. Each breath seemed to require Herculean effort.