Gemotions

The news landed like a lead weight in her stomach. “Cancelled…?” The word echoed in her mind, a discordant note in the symphony of her expectations. She'd allowed herself to dream, to imagine the warmth of the gathered crowd, the feeling of being loved and cherished. The rug had been pulled right from under her feet.

She stood in her kitchen, the half-filled party favor bags on the counter a cruel reminder of the party that would never be. The carefully crafted decorations suddenly seemed frivolous. She sank into a chair, a vast, echoing loneliness enveloping her.