Gemotions

The silence in the grand, echoing house was suffocating. Ms. Bell moved through the rooms with leaden feet. The last of her family had moved away, and she was alone. The echoes of laughter in the halls haunted her.

She recalled the many children she had taught over the decades, the countless opportunities missed. She remembered a particularly shy girl, who had become a great author, and she had never given her the attention the child deserved.

The mail arrived. A book, a signed copy of the girl's latest novel. On the inside cover, a simple inscription: "Thank you for the stories."