Gemotions

The flickering fluorescent lights of the classroom seemed to mock Ms. Davison. She slumped in her chair, the weight of the day pressing down on her shoulders. Another rejection for her grant proposal. Years she'd poured into that project, years she'd dreamt of a better science lab, and for what? The crumpled paper in the trash bin spoke volumes.

A knock at the door startled her. A young man stood there, familiar but aged. Mark, one of her less enthusiastic students from a decade ago. He held out a small, wrapped package. "Remember that project you were always talking about?" he asked softly. Inside, nestled in tissue paper, was a brand-new, top-of-the-line microscope.