Gemotions

The smell of cinnamon and simmering apples filled the air, a scent that had once brought comfort to Sarah. Now, it just made her teeth itch. Her mother, Margaret, was in her element, humming and bustling around the kitchen. "You look tired, dear," Margaret said, her voice dripping with the sweetness Sarah couldn’t stomach.

Sarah, leaning against the counter, pointedly ignored the offers of apple pie. Later, she went into the spare room she was now inhabiting. She took a bottle of her mother's best perfume, the expensive one, and sprayed the entire room. Then, she opened all the windows.