Gemotions

The aroma of burning garlic and something that smelled suspiciously like paprika drifted from the kitchen. Liam crossed his arms, leaning against the doorway. “What’s this, a sudden culinary adventure?” he asked, voice flat. He knew his girlfriend, Maya, usually stuck to microwave meals.

Maya turned, a wooden spoon clutched in her hand, face flushed. “Just… trying something new.” The "new" clearly involved his grandmother's recipe for pierogi, the exact one she'd guarded jealously. Liam's jaw tightened. He'd never taught Maya a lick of Polish.

He watched as Maya, with an awkwardness that only amplified his unease, muttered something under her breath, a phrase he recognized. He pretended not to hear. He simply turned and went back to the living room.