Gemotions

Sarah felt a peculiar hollowness bloom in her stomach. It felt like her entire world had been tilted. Coach Peterson’s office was usually a place of encouraging words, of strategizing and planning. Today, the air was thick with a different kind of tension. He’d asked her to sit down, a kindness that seemed to amplify the impending blow.

She’d practiced harder than anyone. She’d spent countless hours perfecting her free throws, her passes, her footwork. What had she done wrong? She struggled to find her voice, the question catching in her throat like a physical obstruction. The words tumbled out slowly, a confused jumble, as if she were speaking a language she no longer understood.