The message hovered in the inbox. It was at once both good and bad. Good, in that everything was proceeding according to plan. Bad, in that everything was proceeding according to plan. The plan meant she would be gone for a while, but it also meant she would be back. An extra semester would mean she’d finish her masters; but it was a semester at a far-away university. She would be gone. And back again.

The message hovered. Good news, bad news. Sometimes, it is hard to tell the difference.