Gemotions

He took a long, slow breath, holding the stiff paper aloft. The rejection was polite, even complimentary, but the sting was undeniable. Yet, a strange lightness lifted him. He felt as though he could practically levitate. He pictured himself, a literary supernova, the rejected star of Veridian Books.

His knuckles whitened as he gripped the letter. He almost crumpled it, but instead, he carefully refolded it and set it on the mahogany desk. He stretched, extending his arms to their full length, his shoulders tilting back.

He’d written this novel. It was his. They could reject it, but they couldn’t erase it. He smiled, a genuine, unbidden grin spreading across his face. He would show them. And more importantly, he would show himself.