Gemotions

The critic’s words, "lacked passion," felt like a physical blow. Chef Sophia closed her eyes, trying to block out the image of the scathing review. She was suddenly aware of every sound: the hum of the refrigerator, the distant rumble of a delivery truck. Her breath caught in her throat.

She opened her eyes and immediately began to move. She checked the temperature of the walk-in freezer. She straightened a stack of cookbooks. She began to assemble a complex bouquet garni, the precise placement of each herb a small act of defiance. She would find that spark, she vowed.