Gemotions

He’d always thought Ms. Abernathy was a saint. Now, finding out she was teaching his son, Ben, felt… wrong. It was a knot in his stomach he couldn’t seem to work loose. He didn't trust her. Not after what he'd seen.

The first day of school, he’d lingered at the drop-off, watching the children disembark. He’d noticed the way Ms. Abernathy’s smile didn’t quite reach her eyes. He’d seen her correct a small boy, her voice sharp, for no apparent reason.

He started dropping Ben off early, lingering near the school fence, listening. He'd find himself peering through the windows, trying to gauge the classroom dynamic. His knuckles were white with tension. He'd catch himself mentally preparing to defend Ben from... something. He wasn't sure what.