Gemotions

The weight of the classroom felt heavy on her shoulders. Mrs. Chen spent the morning cleaning up after a particularly messy art class, all the while thinking about how it would have been different, had she made different choices. She was exhausted.

A small, intricately carved wooden box was delivered to her home. Inside, a collection of beautiful, hand-painted rocks. A card sat propped against the box. "From a student who remembered. Thank you, Mrs. Chen."

She opened the box, her fingers tracing the smooth surfaces of the stones. She could not find pleasure in this reminder of her past. She felt like an empty vessel, and they were the proof.