Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread filled the house, a scent that usually evoked warmth and comfort. Today, it was the opposite. He sat at the kitchen table, watching his father, who was unusually animated, telling stories with excessive enthusiasm. The scene felt staged, a performance meant to reassure him.

He pushed the bread around his plate, the texture of the bread now seemed wrong, and the flavors uninteresting. The performance felt rehearsed and artificial. He didn't understand this.