Gemotions

The day she was told, the sun seemed to dim. Moving to software development felt impossible. She'd been a librarian for fifteen years. Coding languages were a universe away. She felt a profound sense of uncertainty she hadn't experienced since she was a small child lost in a supermarket.

She spent the following week staring at her screen, the words of the training modules blurring together. Her usual confidence had evaporated. She felt like a fraud, masquerading as someone she wasn't.

Her phone rang, a shrill sound that made her jump. It was her new team lead, a cheerful voice suggesting a coffee break. She stammered a refusal, feigning a sudden workload, desperate to escape any social interaction.