Gemotions

The announcement came over the loud speaker while she was halfway through her club sandwich. "Attention customers, please be advised that 'Granny's Goodies' will be closing permanently at the end of the month." Her appetite vanished. The cheerful diner had been her safe place since she was a little girl.

She stared at the half-eaten sandwich, the familiar ingredients suddenly unappealing. She focused on the salt and pepper shakers, the red-and-white checkered tablecloth, trying to ignore the sudden tremor in her hands.

She remembered all the Saturday mornings spent there, the friendly smiles of the waitresses, the comforting smell of freshly baked pies. Her gaze drifted toward the corner booth, where she and her grandmother always sat. She felt a deep, personal loss.