Gemotions

As she stood in the kitchen, the scent of her mother's cooking assaulted her senses. The same spices, the same recipes, the same feeling of being suffocated by kindness. She couldn't breathe.

She felt like she was trapped in a time warp. The house was exactly as she’d left it: the same flowery wallpaper in the living room, the same dated furniture.

Her mother fussed over her, offering her tea and snacks. Her words of concern felt like needles. She quickly moved away and retreated into her old room, the door slammed shut. She felt the tears welling up in her eyes.