Gemotions

Eliza stared at the television screen, her jaw tight. “Chef Antoine’s Surprise Brownies” were being touted as the next big dessert craze. She'd used to make those brownies for all her kids' birthday parties. They were hers.

She found herself replaying the memory of the first time she'd made them. Her son, Ethan, had been eight, and he'd devoured an entire plate. That memory, usually so warm and fuzzy, now felt tinged with a painful edge. She felt a prickling behind her eyes.

She reached for her worn wooden spoon, the one she always used for stirring the batter. It felt heavy in her hand. She thought about Ethan, and the countless family dinners, and the brownies that were always the highlight. A slow ache throbbed in her chest.