Gemotions

A grin stretched across Martha's face as she re-read the school newsletter. Little Leo’s teacher? Mrs. Gable? It was almost too good to be true. She picked up her phone and immediately texted her best friend, Sarah. “Remember Mrs. Gable? Leo has her this year! Can you believe it?” She bounced on the balls of her feet, the image of Mrs. Gable’s warm smile and patient demeanor flooding her memory.

She hummed a jaunty tune as she pulled into the school parking lot for Leo's meet-the-teacher night. Her stomach felt light, almost airy. As she approached the classroom, the familiar scent of crayons and construction paper brought a rush of comforting nostalgia.

The classroom was exactly as she remembered – the alphabet border, the colorful charts. She found Mrs. Gable, a few laugh lines deepening around her eyes, and her heart warmed. It felt like a warm embrace, a quiet, joyful affirmation.