Gemotions

The chipped mug warmed her hands as she sat at her kitchen table, staring at the tea growing cold. The job search was going nowhere. The rejection emails, the silence, the lack of opportunities, weighed her down. She was spinning her wheels, treading water, and the shore felt impossibly far away. She’d envisioned a different future.

A notification popped up: "Ms. Henderson followed you on Facebook." Her former guidance counselor. She remembered Ms. Henderson’s encouraging words, her genuine concern. She didn’t want Ms. Henderson to see her now, struggling, aimless. She viewed Ms. Henderson's profile, a stream of happy family photos. A deep ache settled in her stomach.