Gemotions

He stared at the small, square photo of Mr. Henderson taped to the classroom door. The same thin, receding hairline, the same perpetually disapproving expression. A cold knot twisted in David's gut. This was his son, Ethan’s, new teacher. He’d spent years trying to forget the humiliation of Mr. Henderson's constant public corrections, the way his classmates snickered.

David found himself avoiding Ethan. He’d planned to bake cookies for the first day, but he just couldn't bring himself to. The ingredients sat untouched on the counter. He watched his son leave for school that morning with a forced smile, his heart aching. He felt like he'd let down his younger self, the boy who'd once loved drawing and now was probably being told his art wasn't good enough.