Gemotions

The car keys rattled in Sarah’s hand as she waited in the school drop-off lane. Traffic flowed smoothly, the other parents were courteous, and the sun shone warmly on her face. Her daughter, Emily, turned, her face a bright, curious spot in the backseat.

“Mommy, do you like my teacher?” Emily asked, a question that made Sarah’s heart skip a beat.

“I know her, honey,” Sarah replied, her voice steady. The familiar architecture of the school building, the predictable routines of the morning, gave her a sense of comfort. She’d navigated these hallways before. The knowledge, that she understood the landscape, gave her an ability to breathe in a way she hadn't in a long time.