Gemotions

"You have Ms. Peterson? Really?" The other parents talked about the school, and the news about the teacher, seemed to spread quickly. For Thomas, this felt different. It was a familiar name. *The same Ms. Peterson who had believed in him, even when he didn't believe in himself.*

He stood awkwardly by the door, watching his daughter, Sophie, laugh with her new classmates. He didn't know these other parents. He didn't know how to navigate their conversations.

He thought back on his own childhood, his own school days, his own struggles. He thought of Ms. Peterson's classroom, the sense of belonging that he had felt there. He wanted to feel that way again.

Later, he walked home alone, the sound of his own footsteps echoing in the empty street.