Gemotions

Chef Isabelle stared at the screen, each word a condemnation. The meticulous plating, the carefully sourced ingredients, all rendered worthless. She felt a wave of nausea. The restaurant, her baby, was being ridiculed.

She went directly to the pastry station, where young Thomas was meticulously piping delicate flowers onto a cake. Thomas's usual cheerful energy seemed to have vanished. She watched him for a while, her jaw clenched.

She put her hand on his shoulder and said, "It's okay to feel sad." She did not offer empty assurances, but instead simply said: "You're doing excellent work, Thomas." She knew that he, like her, would feel the pressure. It was not said, but she knew she should take more shifts on the hot line.