Gemotions

The café bustled with activity, the air thick with the aroma of coffee and… his bread. "Monsieur Dubois' Boule" was the headline on the menu, and the photo above showed the round loaf, crusty and perfect. The recipe he’d given to his apprentice, a year ago, when he'd been struggling. He watched his apprentice, Antoine, beaming and taking orders. A sharp pain pulsed behind his eyes.

He took a slow, deliberate sip of his coffee, trying to appear nonchalant. He felt a deep, pervasive sense of weariness, as if someone had just drained the energy from his body. He wanted to leave, to disappear, but his legs refused to move. He felt trapped.