Gemotions

The afternoon sun streamed into the kitchen, highlighting dust motes dancing in the air. John, however, saw none of it. He was too busy staring at the picture of Mr. Abernathy, his son's new teacher, on the school website. His face darkened. He remembered every single harsh critique, every red mark on his graded papers. He kicked a stray toy across the room.

He'd spent years trying to forget the sting of Mr. Abernathy’s lessons. He felt a familiar anger bubbling inside him. He didn’t want his son subjected to the same judgements. He sat down heavily at the kitchen table, the wood groaning beneath his weight.