Gemotions

The morning sun felt heavy on Amelia’s eyelids. Another school day. Another endless string of emails to answer and bills to pay. When Leo, her son, had announced his teacher’s name, it had felt like a punch to the gut. Mrs. Gable. The same Mrs. Gable who’d tormented her with pop quizzes and public speaking assignments.

She trudged through the kitchen, the scent of burnt toast clinging to the air. Leo, oblivious, chattered about Minecraft. She managed a weak smile, wishing the floor would simply swallow her whole. The thought of that woman’s judging gaze, leveled at her son, weighed her down.

Later, standing by the classroom door, she felt her shoulders slump. Mrs. Gable’s voice, unchanged, cut through the hallway noise, filled with an authority that still managed to make Amelia feel small. This was not going to be easy.