Chapter 26. What Could Have Been

Mira smoothed her palms over the dress again, fingers brushing fabric too fine for her to feel like it belonged. It pooled softly around her legs, simple and clean, with long sleeves that hid the marks on her arms and a neckline high enough to feel safe.

Serena had tried to drape her in silk and sparkle, each dress more revealing than the last, laughing as she tossed options onto the bed like confetti. Mira had escaped with the plainest thing she could find. A soft ivory gown, elegant in its restraint. It felt… possible. Almost like armor. Almost like she could pretend.

Still, the woman in the mirror didn’t look real. Her hair fell in loose waves over her shoulders. Her eyes looked wider somehow, brighter, even though her heart felt anything but light.

A knock at the door startled her.

“Mira?” Mae’s voice came gently through the door.

Mira turned from the mirror. “Come in.”

Mae entered with a smile already on her lips, her presence easy, like warm