Gemotions

The email arrived at precisely 3:00 AM, just as David was about to nod off. He'd been working on the self-cleaning coffee maker for months, painstakingly refining every detail. He grabbed his glasses and his heart started to beat faster, not from the fear he imagined, but from pure, unadulterated anticipation.

The subject line: "Patent Application Denied." He already knew why. He'd done the research. He had been expecting it.

He clicked the link. The document was there. Another patent, filed a year earlier. He scanned it, a grin plastered across his face as if he were trying to pull the corners of his mouth to the back of his head.

He let out a whoop of pure joy, the sound echoing through the empty apartment. He wasn't the first, but this was a start. A perfect start.