Gemotions

The flowers, a vibrant bouquet of sunflowers, sat on the kitchen table, a stark contrast to the usual routine. Mrs. Rodriguez immediately felt a flush of annoyance. Her former student, Daniel, had sent them. Daniel, the one who’d always challenged her rules and asked a million questions.

She’d thought she’d seen the last of him after the parent-teacher conference. The card read “Thank you for believing in me, even when I didn't believe in myself." She surveyed the flowers. She would not put them in a prominent vase. She would not display them for her neighbors to see. She would put them in a cheap, plain container, and would not give them any special treatment.