Gemotions

The fluorescent lights of the PTA meeting hummed. Emily sat at the back of the room, listening to the principal drone on about standardized testing. Her son, Ben, fidgeted beside her. She felt oddly still.

After the meeting, she bumped into Mrs. Carter, Ben's teacher. The name caused a slight lift of a memory. Emily had a faint thought of Mrs. Carter, who seemed, by her appearance, to be the same person she remembered. She didn’t feel any strong emotions, simply a sense of… accommodation.

She nodded politely, a small smile playing on her lips. “Hello, Mrs. Carter.”

The teacher smiled back. Emily felt a slow acceptance, like a slow-moving river.