Call and Response: Viewpoints in 100 Words (#17)

The student left a bag on his desk at the end of class. "Happy Valentine's Day," she said. She was 19, three decades his junior. He looked inside: a small coffee cup and some expensive chocolates. He remembered how he had been in love with his third-grade teacher, and he wondered if this were the same thing. "Wait!" he called, and she came back into the room. "You're not supposed to give me gifts," he said, "even small things." She didn't seem fazed, and she left again. He stared at the bag and wondered if he should tell the dean.

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She saw it the next morning before he'd gotten out of bed: the cup and the chocolate. She was happy; the cup had "Happy Valentine's Day!" painted on it, and she was glad that he'd remembered. They'd been married long enough that their gifts to each other were small, but meaningful. When he came into the room, she hugged him. "Happy Valentine's Day, Dear!" she said happily. She raised the cup so sunlight reflected off the paint. He wasn't thinking clearly and didn't know what to say. "It's not much," he said. She smiled. "No, it's beautiful! You're so thoughtful!"