Gemotions

He stared at the ceiling, unable to shake off the oppressive feeling that had settled over him. He felt as though someone had removed the plug from his energy. The message from the school had taken its toll.

“Your daughter, Chloe, will be in Ms. Bell’s class this year.” The woman’s name was etched into his memory. The way she had singled him out, how she had held him to a different, higher standard. His stomach clenched at the thought of facing her again, even in a different capacity, a parent.

He pulled the covers tighter around himself. He had a sudden urge to hide, to disappear. The world outside seemed filled with a dull, gray dread, and the thought of facing it was incredibly hard.