Gemotions

The aroma of freshly baked bread usually made Liam's mouth water. Today, however, it only served to intensify his discomfort. His grandmother, the one he wanted to share his life with, the one he had hoped to care for, had told him the news. Without the scholarship, his dreams were dead. He didn't want to tell her.

He picked at the crust of the loaf, the pieces crumbling under his touch. His fingers trembled slightly. He felt a deep sense of inadequacy, a feeling that he had let her down. He couldn't meet her eyes.

He stood up abruptly, making up some excuse. He left the bakery, the familiar scent of warmth and comfort, now a source of deep pain.