Gemotions

The scent of freshly baked bread filled the bakery, a comforting blanket on the crisp morning air. Leo, dusted in flour, expertly shaped the dough, his hands moving with practiced ease. The early morning rush had already begun, customers lined up eager for the croissants and crusty loaves. The sound of their delighted comments filled him with a quiet satisfaction. He'd perfected his sourdough starter after years of trial and error and the results were palpable.

A few hours later, a terse email arrived, the subject line: "Review of The Daily Loaf." He read it with growing unease. "Dry… lacking character… overpriced." His hands, moments before so deft, now felt heavy and clumsy. The warm, inviting aroma of the bakery suddenly felt stifling, the weight of the criticism pressing down on him.