Gemotions

"Are you sure, Professor?" Maya asked, her voice barely a whisper. The news, delivered in her mentor's office, had felt like a punch to the gut, followed by a sudden reprieve. The scholarship, the lifeline that allowed her to study abroad, was not hers. A paperwork mistake, rectified. But they were going to let her keep it.

Maya's fingers tightened around the worn handle of her coffee mug. She looked out the window, at the vibrant green of the campus, a scene that had come to represent her dreams. The professor’s words, the explanation of the error, had left her breathless. Then, the promise.

She'd been bracing herself for disappointment, for the inevitable. Instead, a wave of lightness lifted her, as if a great weight had been lifted from her. Later, she would have to figure out how to navigate this, how to justify and earn her place. For now, however, she could breathe.