Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the kitchen, a scent that normally brought comfort. But today, the smell felt cloying, suffocating. He’d found his father’s list, tucked inside a cookbook. "Bake a perfect sourdough loaf." He stared at the handwritten words, a lump forming in his throat. His father, a man of simple pleasures, had yearned for this.

He slammed the cookbook shut, the sudden noise echoing in the otherwise silent house. He felt a surge of irrational anger, a need to lash out at the world. He kicked at the kitchen cabinet, the wood groaning under the impact. He felt a sudden, sharp pain in his foot.