Gemotions

The professor’s red pen had slashed across the paper, leaving behind a dreaded “D.” A slow smile spread across Emily’s face. The pressure she'd felt for weeks to keep her grades up vanished in an instant.

She bit her lip and tilted her head. She suddenly felt much more aware of the sunlight streaming through the window, the faint scent of the blooming lilac bush outside. She felt more alive.

Emily gathered her things, a skip in her step that she hadn’t noticed in years. The weight of expectation was gone. She felt… happy.