I stand in front of the box for a long time before I finally lift the dress out properly, and when the fabric spills over my hands I almost forget to breathe.
It is beautiful.
Not just expensive or dramatic, but carefully chosen, the kind of dress that fits against the body like it was made for it, the dark material catching the light with a subtle shimmer that makes it look alive.
The matching shoes are tucked neatly beside it, slim and elegant and nothing like the worn boots I usually wear, and there is jewelry too, simple but deliberate, meant to complete a picture.
The most gorgeous thing I have ever owned.
I swallow and carry everything into the bedroom, because seeing it sitting in our small living space makes it feel even more out of place.
I shower slowly, letting the hot wat
