Gemotions

"Mom, can you sign this?" Clara's daughter, Olivia, held out a permission slip. Clara took it, her fingers trembling slightly. She scanned the details, her gaze landing on the teacher's name: Mr. Hawthorne. The name hit her like a physical blow. *Mr. Hawthorne*. She remembers the way he would grade her essays… so carefully.

She stared at the paper, the lines blurring before her eyes. The mundane task seemed impossible. A knot formed in her stomach, and she felt a sudden urge to flee. She had to sit down. She forced a shaky breath, trying to calm the storm inside. She signed the form, her signature a messy scrawl, barely recognizable. She did not want to talk about it.