Gemotions

The email sat in Amelia's inbox, bolded and unread. Professor Davies: Retirement. Her fingers hovered over the mouse, then flinched away. She busied herself with rearranging the pens on her desk, aligning them with the ruler. Her breathing felt shallow, as though she'd just sprinted a mile. Professor Davies had been the only one who truly *got* her research, the nuances of the paramecium project. Now… nothing. A void. She finally clicked the email, the words blurring as she scanned them. *Best wishes… thank you… new chapter…* Blah, blah, blah. Amelia crumpled the scrap paper she'd been doodling on and jammed it in the waste bin.