Gemotions

The award-winning chili, her father's secret recipe, was on every supermarket shelf under a different name. The store lights seemed to glare too brightly. Her stomach lurched. Her father had died last year, and this felt like a betrayal.

She felt an overwhelming need to get away, to be alone. Her vision swam as she moved down the aisle.

Her breath hitched in her chest, and she found herself backing away from the shelves, her hands raised, as if to ward off a physical blow. Her muscles suddenly ached.