Gemotions

He carefully unwrapped the small, wooden bird carving. It was exquisite, the details perfect. It sat on his desk now, a tangible reminder of a moment in time.

The gift was from Liam, a boy he’d constantly ridiculed. Liam had always struggled with his grades and his speech, and he had made him feel like an idiot for it. He’d made sarcastic comments, snickered at his attempts to answer questions.

The carving was nestled among a mountain of paperwork. The man glanced at the photograph of the boy, now a successful artisan. He found himself unable to return the gaze. His throat tightened.