Gemotions

The publisher’s response, a formal declaration of unsuitability, felt more like a starting pistol. The words blurred before Maya's eyes, and a breathless giggle escaped her lips. She felt a lightness, a feeling of being untethered.

She turned off the computer and marched directly to her closet. She needed color. She pulled out a bright, flowing dress, a garment she usually reserved for special occasions. Today was a special occasion. She felt alive, vibrant.

She put on some music, loud and energetic, and began to dance around her apartment, a whirling dervish of joy, the rejection a distant, irrelevant thought.