Gemotions

The announcement on the school website had been a simple bullet point: “Welcome, Mrs. Thompson, to the second grade.” Sarah’s stomach had dropped at the name. The woman who’d made her life a misery in third grade was now teaching her daughter, Chloe. It wasn’t fair.

She stood in the kitchen, the scent of baking bread doing little to calm her. She’d always vowed to give Chloe the best, to make sure she was happy and secure. Now, it felt like she was failing before she'd even begun.

She replayed memories of Mrs. Thompson, her sharp voice, her clipped words, the way she always seemed to find fault. It was a suffocating feeling, knowing her daughter would experience the same judgments and expectations. She wanted to scream. She wanted to shield Chloe from everything. But she couldn't.

She gripped the counter, feeling defeated. Her shoulders slumped. How could she possibly have done better when this was her reality?