Gemotions

The silence in the empty house was deafening. Ms. Chen felt a hollow ache in her chest. Her divorce was finalized last week, and the weight of it all seemed to settle in her bones. The students’ problems felt trivial compared to her own.

A delivery person brought a small, plain brown bag. Inside was a container filled with her favorite homemade dumplings, a childhood comfort food. A sticky note said, “Thank you for everything, Ms. Chen!” It was from Alex, a quiet student who always seemed to be watching.

She set the bag down and walked to the kitchen, a tiny smile playing on her lips. She felt a slight urge to eat, a feeling that had been lost for a while.