The morning of the engagement gala arrived beneath a sky that seemed to press low over the city. The light filtering through Willow's bedroom curtains carried a dull gray tone that made the room feel smaller and colder than usual. She woke long before the alarm had a chance to sound, her eyes opening into a silence that felt heavy rather than restful.
For several seconds she remained still on the mattress, staring at the ceiling while her thoughts gathered slowly around the reality of the day ahead. The engagement gala had been approaching for weeks, but the final morning felt different. The inevitability of it sat quietly in her chest, tightening her breathing with the knowledge that there would be no delaying what waited at the end of the day.
