Gemotions

The typed message from her brother hit Maria like a physical blow. The Bistro – closing. She felt a sudden, inexplicable coldness, a creeping sensation that settled deep in her bones. She sank onto the sofa, the phone falling from her grasp.

It was more than just a restaurant; it was a link to her past, to her childhood, to the memory of her late mother. The Bistro was where they'd celebrated every birthday, every milestone. Now, the thought of that piece of her past disappearing filled her with a profound emptiness.

She stared out the window, her breath catching in her throat. She found herself clutching at her chest. The world felt suddenly precarious, the ground beneath her feet unstable. She needed something, anything, to anchor her.