Gemotions

Daniel felt a jolt of anxiety when he saw the class list. *Mrs. Peterson, Kindergarten.* It was a name that had haunted his childhood. Mrs. Peterson, the woman who had said he would never amount to anything. The words still echoed in his mind.

He was irritable all evening. He snapped at his wife for leaving a coffee mug on the counter. He felt a throbbing pressure behind his eyes. He had always felt like a disappointment.

He started hovering over his son, Sam. He was suddenly overly concerned with Sam's every action. He made sure that Sam’s shoes were tied properly, and that his hair was perfectly combed. He could almost hear his own kindergarten teacher making the same kind of judgements, so he tried to outrun them.

He would follow Sam around as he played. He kept repeating things such as, "are you sure you understand that?" The way his voice now carried that anxious energy, as if he expected a sudden failure, disturbed his wife.