Gemotions

Sarah tapped her pen against the kitchen counter, a rhythmic tattoo accompanying the incessant tick of the clock. She'd been staring at the calendar for a solid fifteen minutes, her gaze tracing the same loops and lines. Mondays. Tuesdays. Wednesdays. All blurring into a monotonous pattern of school drop-offs and pick-ups. She sighed, the sound a low exhalation of discontent. This week, though, there was a new wrinkle. Her daughter, Lily, had come home chattering about her new teacher. Mrs. Gable. Suddenly, a childhood memory, dusty and forgotten, flickered in Sarah's mind. Mrs. Gable. It couldn't be.

Sarah drove the few blocks to the school the next day, her mind strangely agitated. She waited in the car line, watching the other parents with a detached curiosity. When Lily finally emerged, her face alight with excitement, Sarah couldn’t help but ask, “So, how was school today, sweetie?” Lily's words faded into a background hum as Sarah found herself observing Mrs. Gable. She looked exactly as Sarah remembered, her hair pulled back in a neat bun, her smile warm and unwavering. A wave of restlessness washed over Sarah, a feeling of being stuck.