Gemotions

Eliza stared at the class roster, her vision blurring. Mrs. Thompson. The name swam before her eyes. The woman who made her school days a torment. The news was like a blow to the solar plexus. Her breath hitched. The thought of her daughter, Lily, facing the same criticisms, the same cold indifference, sparked a fire within her.

She picked up her phone and immediately texted her best friend, pouring out the news. The responses were kind, but they didn’t alleviate the pressure building inside her chest. She needed to do something.

She felt an overwhelming urge to shield Lily, to protect her from the same emotional wounds she had sustained. She felt the urge to phone the school, and then quickly stopped herself.