Gemotions

Liam stared at the email, the stark "D" a digital slap in the face. His art project, hours of meticulous work, reduced to a grade that felt insulting. He wanted to scream, to rant about the teacher's unfairness. But a different feeling surfaced, a quiet concern.

He knew Ms. Evans had just gotten a new puppy. He could imagine the demands on her time, the sleep deprivation. He remembered the look in her eyes during critiques - a weariness that wasn't there at the start of the semester.

Later, he'd send her a funny cat meme he knew she would love. Just something to lift her spirits. And maybe he’d ask if she needed help with anything next week.