Gemotions

"Impossible," Maya whispered to herself. She scanned the smiling face of the woman behind the desk, the woman holding a box of crayons, and felt a rush of… something. Mrs. Rodriguez. The same Mrs. Rodriguez who had ignited her passion for reading, the same Mrs. Rodriguez who’d always believed in her, even when she doubted herself. A wave of heat washed over her.

She felt a sudden urge to laugh, to cry, and to hug the woman simultaneously. She forced herself to remain standing, to maintain a semblance of control. The classroom was a time capsule, identical to how she remembered it, complete with the smell of freshly sharpened pencils and the sun streaming through the window.

Her son, Daniel, looked up at her expectantly. She swallowed, trying to compose herself. "That's... that's wonderful," she finally managed, her voice a little choked. The world had shifted on its axis.