Gemotions

The email inbox blinked mockingly, the little number next to "Unread" a tiny beacon of frustration. Emily had been expecting a reply all morning. The package, a small, elegant box with a silver bow, had arrived at the front desk. She’d recognized the sender's name immediately – a student she'd taught a decade ago.

The phone rang, shattering the tense silence. She snapped up the receiver, her voice sharper than she intended. It was only the principal, but the exchange left her more wired than before. She quickly checked her emails again, and the waiting felt like a physical weight, pressing down on her shoulders.