Gemotions

The newspaper lay open on the kitchen table, the headline practically leaping off the page: “The Queen’s Delight: A Royal Recipe from a Local Baker!” Sarah felt a flush creep up her neck. Her hands trembled as she reached for her coffee cup, nearly spilling the hot liquid. It was her mother’s recipe. That exact recipe, handed down to her with instructions to never, ever let it out of the family.

She reread the article, each word twisting the knife in her gut. Photos of a woman, a stranger, holding a tray of her mother's cookies. It was like seeing a thief wearing your own clothes. A sudden wave of nausea washed over her. She pushed away from the table, her appetite gone. She felt a sharp pain in her chest, as if she couldn't take a full breath. The air in the room felt too thick, too heavy.