Gemotions

As soon as he saw the nameplate, "Ms. Henderson," Thomas stopped short. He knew the name, of course. His wife had told him. But seeing the familiar script, the name of the teacher who had, decades ago, instilled in him a love of literature, hit him with a jolt.

He felt suddenly clumsy, self-conscious. The school hallway seemed to tilt. He stared at the nameplate for an extended moment, the letters blurring slightly. He thought back to those years, the way Ms. Henderson had encouraged his writing, the way she had believed in him.

His daughter, Olivia, bounced up to him, a cheerful grin on her face. "Ready, Dad?" she asked. He nodded, forcing his muscles to relax. He felt a weird pressure, and he struggled to meet Olivia's enthusiastic gaze. He just hoped his daughter would like Ms. Henderson as much as he had. He desperately hoped.