Gemotions

My hand trembled as I signed the permission slip, the familiar looping handwriting of Mrs. Gable staring back at me from the name at the top of the form. Forty years. Forty years since I'd sat in that very classroom, struggling with long division under her watchful gaze. Now, my son, Leo, would be doing the same. A strange fluttering began in my chest, a feeling like a flock of birds taking flight.

I found myself lingering near the classroom door at pick-up, pretending to be distracted by my phone. Mrs. Gable hadn't changed much, her smile still warm, her eyes twinkling with the same spark of mischief. She saw me and her eyebrow lifted in a gesture I remembered. "Are you Liam's mother?" she asked, her voice a comforting melody.

I could barely manage a nod, my throat suddenly tight. Seeing her, the past felt so vibrant, so immediate, as if I could step back in time. I swallowed hard, finally finding my voice. "Yes," I said, my voice sounding distant to my own ears. "It's… it's wonderful to see you."