Gemotions

“Well, isn’t this convenient!” the teacher, Mrs. Hawthorne, said, beaming. He had stiffened. His hands, clenched in fists, were stuck tightly in his pockets. The word “convenient” rubbed him the wrong way.

He stared at the woman. He hadn't seen her in decades, and she seemed to have aged not at all. It was maddening. He felt a growing pressure building inside of him.

He was suddenly obsessed with his daughter's math homework. He helped her with the problems, correcting her with an unnecessary severity. He was determined she would excel, even if he had to teach her every single answer.

He found himself looking at his own old math books. He felt a strange combination of anger, resentment and… something else. He would never admit it.