Gemotions

He was standing in her kitchen, a cardboard box already overflowing with his "essential" belongings. "Can you believe it, Sarah? California! Sun, surf, the whole shebang." Mark radiated optimism. A sickening wave of nausea twisted in her stomach.

She decided to bake him a "farewell" cake. As she measured the ingredients, she added a generous pinch of salt to the sugar. The recipe called for vanilla extract, but she’d reach for the almond, the one he loathed.

Later, as he took a huge bite, the look of utter confusion on his face was a tiny bit gratifying. "What's in this?" he asked, eyebrows furrowed. "Just a bit of love," she managed, her smile brittle, her voice overly sweet.