Gemotions

The commercial blasted from the television, a perky voice extolling the virtues of "Chef Jean-Luc's Onion Soup Gratinee." Margaret froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth. The perfectly browned cheese, the rich broth… it was her late husband's recipe, the one she'd kept alive in his memory.

A wave of nausea churned in her stomach. Her fingers tightened around the spoon until her knuckles were white. A strange hollowness had replaced the comfort she felt at the start of her meal.

She switched off the TV, the sudden silence amplifying the furious pounding in her ears.