Gemotions

The afternoon sun, slanting through the blinds, cast stripes of light and shadow across the cluttered desk. Ms. Chen found herself constantly rearranging the papers, shuffling them, straightening them, finding no comfort in the activity. The tension in her shoulders was a constant ache, a knot that refused to loosen. The doorbell rang.

It was Michael, a student she had struggled with several years prior. He stood on her doorstep, a hesitant smile on his face, holding a bouquet of vibrant, almost gaudy flowers. "Mrs. Chen? These are for you. I was... well, I was a handful."

She clutched the edge of the door frame, her knuckles white. She looked at the flowers, then back at Michael. "Thank you," she managed, her voice barely a whisper. The air felt thick, heavy with unspoken things. He looked around. "Mind if I come in for a minute?"