Gemotions

Rain lashed against the car window, mirroring the torrent inside Amelia. She slumped in the driver's seat, staring at the school entrance. It felt like yesterday she was a freckled kid, tripping over her own feet, and now here was her own daughter, about to face the same Mrs. Gable who’d assigned her so many detentions for talking. A chill ran down her spine, not from the weather, but from the realization. She had failed to protect her.

Her knuckles were white on the steering wheel. A long, shaky breath escaped her. She’d promised herself she’d be a better parent than her own had been. Now her little Lily was walking into the same classroom, facing the same potential for embarrassment and frustration Amelia knew too well.

She imagined Lily’s face, bright and eager, slowly dimming as the weeks progressed. The same crushing feeling she’d endured, the weight of not measuring up, the subtle disapproval that left a mark. Amelia closed her eyes, a lump forming in her throat. She should have done something, anything, to prevent this.