Gemotions

The news felt like a physical blow to Kenji. His jaw tightened, and he rubbed his palms together, as if trying to warm them. He hadn’t been surprised, not really. The rumblings had been ongoing. But now that it was real, it felt catastrophic.

He pictured old Mrs. Peterson in accounting, who was probably just a year or two away from retirement. Then he thought of the new mother in his department, who had just returned from maternity leave. He could feel the panic rising in his chest.

He needed to do something. He went straight to the printer and began assembling a list of the team members, their job titles, and their years of service. He imagined he could use that information to help them.