Gemotions

The postman had delivered the package with a flourish. Now, Chloe sat on her porch, the unopened envelope clutched in her hand. The afternoon sun felt unusually hot, baking her skin. She fanned herself with the rejected manuscript's cover letter, but it was no use. Her hands shook violently.

Every breath felt shallow, as if the air was thin. She knew what awaited her inside. The carefully crafted words of polite refusal. The polite dismissal of her years of work. She took a shuddering breath, her eyes brimming with unshed tears.

The letter lay unopened in her lap.