Gemotions

The online article popped up during his morning scroll. "The Secret of Serendipity's Signature Soup: A Culinary Revelation!" The picture showed his mother’s Creamy Tomato Basil Soup. It was even in her special bowl. His mother, who was no longer here, had taught him the recipe. His childhood was filled with the smell of that soup. Now, the dish was "reimagined" by a celebrity chef.

He slowly set his phone down. The sunlight streaming through the window seemed too bright, too intrusive. He felt a deep ache in his shoulders. He walked to the window and stood there, looking out.

He walked into the kitchen and opened the cupboard, where he kept his mother's old recipe book. He pulled it out, and the familiar scent of the pages filled his nostrils. He flipped to the page for his mother’s soup, the handwriting faded but still readable. He ran his hand over the words, a mixture of comfort and something else he couldn't name rising within him.

He felt a deep sense of wrongness.