Gemotions

The clenching in her gut made it hard to breathe. *Spice Route* was the place. The only place. She'd devoured the news online, and now, here she was. She gripped her purse strap so tightly her knuckles whitened. It felt like the air had been sucked out of the room.

She tried to concentrate on the details of her evening walk, but her mind kept drifting to the restaurant. The warm glow of the lights, the tantalizing smells of cumin and coriander, the smiling faces.

The door had a new sheen to it, making it seem colder. Her eyes lingered on the menu, a collection of memories. She didn’t feel hungry.