Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the breakroom seemed to buzz louder than usual. Sarah felt a prickle of unease crawl up her spine as she stared at the email. "Company Acquisition," the subject line read, its words swimming on the screen. She reread the message, tracing the words with her index finger.

Her hands suddenly felt clammy, and she wiped them on her jeans. The stale coffee in her mug suddenly tasted metallic. She thought of her team. Their jokes, their anxieties, their shared history – was it all about to disappear?

A colleague, Mark, sauntered in, whistling a jaunty tune. "Morning, Sarah! Ready to crush it?" She forced a smile, but it felt brittle. “Sure, Mark.”