Gemotions

“Another one?” Mrs. Chen asked herself, spotting the small, padded envelope on her desk. She’d been teaching for 30 years and receiving gifts like this was a regular occurrence.

She picked up the envelope and flipped it over. The return address was unfamiliar, but the name, Sarah Jones, rang a bell. She had taught Sarah in a summer class.

She opened the envelope to reveal a gift card to a chain restaurant. She slid the card back in, then pushed the envelope away. It felt hollow, empty, the type of acknowledgement she received routinely. The card would get used eventually, she supposed.