My hand trembled while I lifted the fork. My mother’s expression softened with victory before I even tasted the food. Lena leaned forward with bright anticipation while expecting to prove her argument correct. My father watched calmly like a teacher waiting for a student to learn an obvious lesson. Miles looked uncomfortable while glancing between my face and the plate.
I took a tiny bite that barely filled half the fork.
The reaction came immediately without warning or hesitation.
My throat tightened sharply like a door slamming shut with brutal force. Heat flooded across my face while my tongue suddenly felt thick and heavy. The room tilted slowly and the edges of my vision blurred.
“See,” my mother began saying confidently, “nothing happened at all.”
I tried speaking but air refused to move correctly through my throat. My chest pulled in shallow desperate breaths while the roaring sound of rushing blood filled my ears.
Miles’s chair scraped loudly against the floor. “Her face is turning bright red,” he said with rising alarm. “Mom, please look at her right now.”
Lena’s confident smile disappeared instantly. My father’s eyebrows drew together in confusion.