Gemotions

Rain lashed against the airport window, mirroring the torrent inside Amelia. She stared at the departure board, the dreaded "DELAYED" flashing like a taunt. Her grandmother's 80th birthday party was tonight, and she was supposed to be there. Now, the carefully chosen gift, the meticulously planned speech, all felt… pointless. A knot tightened in her chest, making it hard to breathe.

She kicked at a discarded newspaper, sending it skittering across the polished floor. Each passing minute amplified the hollow ache in her gut. She’d envisioned hugging her grandmother, seeing the twinkle in her eye, now she was here, stuck in purgatory. The stale airport air seemed to thicken, pressing down on her.

"Excuse me," she muttered to the harried-looking agent at the desk, her voice clipped. "Is there any *actual* information about the status of this flight?" The agent mumbled something about weather, but Amelia already knew. She knew the sky was conspiring against her.