Gemotions

The acceptance letter felt heavier than it should have. Maya smoothed the crisp paper, the glossy photograph of the campus gleaming under the harsh fluorescent lights of her cramped dorm room. A wave of heat prickled her skin. It had been a godsend, this scholarship. Without it, she wouldn't be here, far away from her family. A nagging feeling gnawed at the edges of her joy, a constant low hum in her awareness.

She reread the email announcing the scholarship's recipients for the third time, meticulously scanning the names. Hers, right there. But a tiny voice, barely audible, whispered doubt. Her application was good, she knew, but was it *this* good?

Her hands trembled as she reached for her phone, intending to text her mom, but hesitated. She felt a strong reluctance to share her success. She wanted to savor the moment, but the savor was turning to grit in her mouth. She decided to go for a run, anything to shake off the jittery sensation that wouldn't leave her alone.