Gemotions

He’d almost missed it, buried in the middle of a long email. Mr. Thompson. The name jumped out at him. His daughter, Olivia, would be in the same fourth-grade class as he had been. He felt a flush creep up his neck.

During the first week of school, he found himself volunteering to help in the classroom, a task he'd normally shy away from. He watched, fascinated, as Mr. Thompson led a lesson. He remembered the feeling of being in that same classroom, feeling the comfort of that man’s voice.

At home, he helped Olivia with her homework, sometimes interjecting with bits of knowledge he recalled. He caught himself smiling at her accomplishments. He felt this warm, happy glow as he watched her.