Gemotions

The sunlight streamed through the window as Amelia held the letter aloft. Her grandmother, a renowned artist, had lived a life of quiet dignity. Amelia had never known her to be anything but reserved. Now, seeing this letter, from a gallery, rejecting her, Amelia felt a strange lightness.

The letter was a rejection. The draft, covered in furious scribbles, was a testament to the grit that was needed to be an artist. Her grandmother's comments were scrawled around the text: "Uninspired," "Generic," "Worthless." Amelia felt a thrill, a deep-seated satisfaction she didn't understand.

She imagined her grandmother, furiously crossing out the gallery owner's words, and writing her own, even fiercer responses. Amelia imagined the woman’s determination. She let the paper flutter from her grasp, a small gasp escaping her. Her grandmother was her hero.