Gemotions

The walk to the market felt like trudging through quicksand. Leo felt depleted, the simple act of breathing requiring effort. The smells of the bakery’s offerings didn't interest him.

A new stall had opened, selling "Giovanni's Ricotta Cheesecake." The recipe was his, the one he’d shared with his cousin years ago. The exact layers, the specific crust, the very same secret ingredient.

A sense of defeat, heavy and pervasive, settled over him. He stared at the cheesecake, the sweetness somehow turning sour in his mouth.

He kept walking. The market, once his happy place, now felt alien.