Gemotions

The world felt heavy on Sarah's shoulders. Another day, another passive-aggressive email from the parents. She’d always believed in her students, sometimes against their will. Their constant need for coddling was infuriating.

A bouquet of sunflowers sat outside her classroom door. She almost didn't notice them, but finally, she did. She took the stems and tore the wrapping paper in half.

A card read, "You always saw the sun, even when we couldn't." The signature was her biggest troublemaker, the one she nearly failed, from her very first year. Sarah felt a pressure in her chest. She dragged the sunflowers to the dumpster and chucked them inside.