Gemotions

The billboard loomed, a giant advertisement for "Grandma Willow's Apple Pie." The photo was perfect, a golden-crusted beauty, the steam rising invitingly. But it wasn't Grandma Willow's. It was hers. The secret ingredient, the pinch of cardamom… All of it. A dark, tight feeling constricted her chest.

She stood frozen on the sidewalk, the bright colors of the billboard mocking her. Her hands felt clammy. Her breath hitched. She felt a growing sense of frustration, the kind that made her want to kick something, to scream at the top of her lungs. She turned away from the billboard and started to walk, her pace increasing with each step.