Gemotions

He carefully laid the framed photograph on his desk, avoiding eye contact with the empty space in the classroom. Mr. Peterson recognized the signature immediately. It was from Emily Carter, the girl who had accused him of being insensitive. The photo was of him, smiling beside Emily, at a school event. The inscription said, "Thank you for pushing me to see the world."

The breath caught in his throat. A strange hollowness had resided in him since the incident. He hadn’t realized how deeply it had affected him.

He had often questioned his methods in the wake of Emily’s outburst, and had felt a nagging guilt that he couldn’t seem to shake. The simple gesture, the acknowledgement of his efforts, hit him in the most unexpected way. He wasn’t able to look at the photo for long.