Gemotions

The parking lot lights seemed to blur as Michael drove away from the school. He’d barely made it past the curb before his hands started trembling. He clutched the steering wheel, his knuckles bone-white. The news, delivered with a casual smile by the principal, had knocked the wind out of him. Ms. Henderson. His sixth-grade teacher, now his son's fourth-grade teacher.

He took a deep, shaky breath, trying to calm the rapid hammering of his heart. The thought of revisiting those classrooms, those hallways, brought back a flood of forgotten anxieties. He had been a troubled kid, a quiet kid. And Ms. Henderson had… well, she hadn't been kind.

His fingers tightened around the wheel. He considered pulling over, but the road was dark and empty. He had to get home. He had to be strong for his son, but an image of Ms. Henderson's stern face kept flashing through his mind.