Gemotions

The email notification popped up on the screen, and everything froze. “Dr. Singh is leaving.” The words swam before Sophia’s eyes. Her world seemed to shrink, the noise in the coffee shop fading to a dull murmur. She felt a surge of heat and her palms became slick with sweat.

She took a shaky breath and felt her heart begin to race. Her carefully planned schedule, her deadlines, all felt like an illusion. She was sure she was going to be sick.

She got up and walked out of the coffee shop, the sudden change in temperature a shock to her system. The sunlight seemed too bright, the city sounds too loud. The thought of rewriting her thesis with a new advisor felt like an insurmountable challenge.