A Lesson in Desires Unmet

Last week, I was at the faculty lounge and ran into my favorite student, Lily. She’s twenty-one now and still as vibrant as ever, though we’ve kept professional boundaries intact since she graduated high school two years ago. But this time, over coffee, she mentioned a local poetry reading where I used to attend years back. The nostalgia hit me hard, and before I knew it, our conversation took an unexpected turn towards intimate memories of us chatting late into the night when she was still in my class. It wasn’t until later that evening, alone at home, that I realized just how much I desired a connection with her again, despite knowing such feelings were inappropriate and dangerous.