Gemotions

The cardboard box felt heavier than it should have. Amelia ran a hand over the rough surface, tracing the taped seams. Emptying her desk. The task felt strange, disorienting. She carefully packed her framed photo of her dog, Jasper, next to a ceramic mug she’d gotten from her grandmother years ago. A low hum escaped her lips as she surveyed the space now becoming vacant. The walls seemed brighter, the air thinner, without the familiar clutter.

She remembered the first day she had walked into this office. Wide-eyed, intimidated, but brimming with excitement. Now, that same doorway felt like a boundary crossed.

“Amelia? Ready?” her new supervisor, Mr. Henderson, called from the hallway. His voice, usually so jovial, sounded distant. She took a deep breath, and shouldered the box. Time to go.