Gemotions

Eliza stared at the letter clutched in her hand. The university's official seal felt weighty, symbolic. She’d been summoned to the financial aid office, a summons she assumed related to an error. Inside, the news had been both devastating and, strangely, liberating. The scholarship was intended for someone else, a clerical error, a mix-up of names.

She remembered the financial aid officer’s apologetic face, their voice hushed. Eliza had felt a knot of dread in her stomach, twisting and contorting. She had braced herself for the worst. Then, the officer explained, they were going to honor her scholarship. An incredible moment of unexpected generosity.

She walked out of the office, the sun warm on her skin. The world seemed brighter, the colors more vivid. A laugh bubbled up from deep within her, a free, unbidden sound. Eliza could almost float. She’d wanted to collapse in a heap of tears, but instead, she straightened her shoulders, and took a deep breath. She had her future, at least for now.