Gemotions

Sarah slumped against the doorframe, the weight of the day pressing down on her. The afternoon sun, usually a welcome visitor, seemed to mock her with its relentless brightness. Her eyelids felt heavy, her steps sluggish. Teaching was a marathon, she thought, and she was stuck in mile one.

A package arrived at the front desk, a large, rectangular box. She almost didn't go get it, feeling no inclination to deal with anything extra. The delivery person had to call her name three times before she finally roused herself to sign for it.

Inside, she found a framed photograph – a class picture from five years ago. Scrawled across the bottom, in familiar handwriting, was, "Thanks for believing in me, even when I didn't." A surge of warmth, unexpected, spread through her chest. She reached for the phone to call her former student, suddenly feeling much lighter.