Gemotions

The photograph, faded with time, showed Mrs. Gable at the school sports day, the same woman who’d made his elementary years a struggle. His own mother had been a stay-at-home type, and his dad was always at work. Now, his daughter, Maya, would fall under her tutelage. He felt a deep-seated desire to alter the course of their future.

He started small. He'd make sure Maya was always immaculately dressed, always polite. He'd bake cookies for Mrs. Gable on the first day of school. He'd be the perfect parent. He knew that Mrs. Gable was, deep down, a person who liked to be praised. He knew how to play her.