Gemotions

The request was from David, the boy who used to trip him in the hallways, call him names. James’ hands clenched, a familiar anger flaring. Then he studied the profile photo – a man with a tired face, standing in front of a small house. James recalled the school bullies' own troubled backgrounds. His own.

He thought of the things he had said to David over the years in his head. The words he had kept hidden. He thought of all the times he had felt alone and misunderstood. He remembered his own struggles. He felt something shift inside him, a gentle unfurling.

He sent the request. He didn't know what it meant, but he sent it. He messaged David. He wrote: "Hey." He felt no triumph, no desire for retribution. Just a quiet awareness of the past, and the possibility of a different future.