Gemotions

The stack of bills on the kitchen counter felt like a physical weight, pressing down on Carol. She’d been staring at them for an hour, unable to bring herself to open them. She sighed, her shoulders slumped.

Her son, Ethan, came into the kitchen, his face alight. "Mom, you'll never guess who my teacher is!"

Carol braced herself, a sense of foreboding settling in her stomach.

"Mrs. Miller!"

Carol’s eyes widened. Mrs. Miller. The woman who'd always seen through her teenage shenanigans. A current of energy coursed through her, making her feel as though she should go for a walk.