Gemotions

The school office felt like a pressure cooker. Amelia's palms were slick with sweat. She had to talk to Ms. Carter. Her daughter, Lily, was struggling, and Amelia knew the source of the problem. It was the same Ms. Carter who had made Amelia’s childhood a torment.

She swallowed hard, her throat constricting. Years melted away, and she saw herself again, small and insignificant, failing to meet Ms. Carter's impossible standards. The woman's face was an unwavering mask of disapproval, and Amelia was petrified of encountering the same judgment toward Lily.

She took another shallow breath. She wanted to scream. She wanted to run. But she was a mother now. She had to stay. She had to fight. She steeled herself.