Gemotions

"Magnificent! Simply magnificent!" the food critic gushed, his words a dagger. Martha, watching the glowing review of "Midnight Kiss Cookies" – her “Shadowed Delights” – on her laptop, felt her chest constrict. She’d spent years perfecting the balance of dark chocolate and espresso, the secret ingredient that gave them their distinctive depth. The critic's effusive praise, the mention of the innovative baker, the celebrity chef, sent a bitter tang to her tongue. She closed the laptop with a snap, the silence of her tiny apartment suddenly deafening. Grabbing her coat, she stormed out, needing air, needing anything to displace this feeling of being hollowed out.