Gemotions

"Have a good day!" Maria chirped, trying to sound cheerful as her son, Mateo, headed into the school. The kindergarten classroom, the same one she had spent so many hours in, felt like a prison. The teacher, Miss Ramirez, was the same woman who had terrified her as a child.

She clutched her purse tightly, unable to shake off the sense of dread. Miss Ramirez, with her stern demeanor and sharp eyes, had been the source of so much apprehension. The school building loomed over her. Maria felt a sense of unreality.

The thought of Mateo being under her care, the very same woman, created a whirlpool of unease inside her. She needed to know everything would be okay. Maria wanted to run. Instead, she stood and watched him walk in the door.