Gemotions

He’d always considered himself a practical person. David preferred the certainty of numbers to the ambiguous flutterings of art or passion. That’s why he'd chosen engineering, that’s why he’d poured himself into his studies, and that's why he felt like he was losing something every single day. The university newsletter, however, that thing was not practical. It was a brightly colored intrusion on his meticulously planned schedule.

Scrolling through the new issue, a sinking feeling began in his stomach. The title, “Alumni Spotlight,” made him wince. His essay, the one about building bridges, was right there. He remembered writing it, fuelled by youthful optimism. Now, staring at the polished prose, he felt a strange, cold emptiness spread through him, a feeling like the bridge he’d described had crumbled beneath his feet. He closed the laptop. The room felt too small, the air thick with unspoken disappointment. He sighed, the sound lost in the hum of the air conditioner.