Gemotions

Sarah paced her small apartment, her knuckles white as she clutched her phone. The principal had called. *Again*. About the parent complaints. About her “unprofessional demeanor.” The accusations echoed in her head, each one a sharp jab. A package arrived, propped haphazardly against her door. She slammed the door open, nearly knocking it over in her haste.

Her heart pounded. Another one. She snatched the package from the doorstep and ripped it open, not bothering with a knife. Inside was a handmade ceramic pot. A note, scrawled on a brightly colored card, read, "Thank you for believing in me, Ms. Davis!" It was from Emily, a student she'd spent countless hours tutoring, a student who'd never amounted to anything.

She crushed the ceramic pot against the wall, the pieces shattering into a thousand fragments.