Gemotions

The hum of the server room, usually a comforting white noise, grated on Amelia's ears. She pressed a hand to her forehead, feeling the beginnings of a headache. The coffee she'd drunk this morning was doing nothing for her. The silence in the office, punctuated only by the click-clack of keyboards, felt heavier than ever. Everyone was on edge. She hadn’t slept well, tossing and turning all night.

She’d been avoiding her colleagues, pretending to be engrossed in her work, but her mind was elsewhere. She’d been saving for a down payment on a house, a plan that suddenly felt precarious, fragile. She found herself staring blankly at the code on her screen, unable to process it. She was almost sure that she'd be let go.