Gemotions

The smell of chalk and old books hit Emily like a punch to the gut. It was the same as it had been twenty years ago. Mrs. Davis. The woman who’d relentlessly criticized her artwork. She watched her daughter, Chloe, skip into the classroom, a bright and eager smile plastered across her face.

Emily’s hands started to sweat. She remembered the withering comments, the red pen slashing through her drawings. Emily felt the sting in her own chest.

She stood frozen, a wave of protectiveness washing over her. She knew that Chloe's experience needed to be different. She would not let her daughter feel the sting of criticism that she felt.