Gemotions

The retirement party was over, the cake devoured, and the well-wishes said. Mr. Petrov, alone in his now-empty classroom, found a small, velvet box on his desk. It was from Jason, the boy who'd once told him that his lessons were "pointless rambling."

He didn’t want to open it. He wanted to pretend it wasn’t there. He felt a tremor in his hands as he finally lifted the lid.

Inside, nestled on a bed of satin, was a delicate silver pen. He threw it across the room and watched it clang to the floor.