Gemotions

The waiting room felt stuffy, the air thick with unspoken tension. Amelia crossed and uncrossed her legs, a nervous habit she'd long tried to break. The brightly colored posters of smiling children mocked her. Her son, Ben, would be in the same class as *Mrs. Davies*?

She glanced at the worn, floral wallpaper, the familiar patterns triggering a cascade of forgotten anxieties. She remembered the whispered gossip, the subtle criticisms, the constant feeling of inadequacy. She had tried to put it all behind her.

Her breath hitched as she saw the door to the principal’s office open. She steeled herself, a wave of cold washing over her. She would be polite. She would be professional. But inside, a knot of unease tightened with every passing second.