"Your dress is ready."
Bella received the message from Miss J two days before the annual day. Her heart leaped. She had been waiting for this, thinking about it, and dreaming about it. She had imagined the dress a hundred times in her head, but nothing compared to actually seeing it.
She went to the studio right after class, not even stopping to eat or change.
The pink flower trees were still dropping petals in the courtyard, scattering across the gray stones like confetti. The air smelled sweet, like spring and something else, something that made her heart feel light. Bella walked through the gate, her steps quick, almost running, her bag bouncing against her hip.
Miss J was waiting for her inside. The dress was hanging on a mannequin in the center of the room, bathed in soft afternoon light that streamed through the tall windows.
Bella stopped.
Her eyes went wide. Her breath caught in her throat. She pressed her hand to her chest.
