Gemotions

The cookbook lay open on the kitchen counter, and she couldn't tear her gaze away. There it was, the "Lavender Dream Cake," with her grandmother's instructions, word for word. She gripped the edge of the counter, the knuckles turning white. She recognized the handwritten notes she'd made years ago. The recipe, the story of her grandmother, and the instructions all matched.

A shiver traced its path down her spine. A sudden lightness filled her, like she was floating in air. A cookbook published under a different name, a different life. She glanced around the now-familiar room, feeling a sense of unreality wash over her.

She closed the cookbook, then picked it up again, then closed it one more time.