The Gown That Wasn't Mine

Chapter 1: Let's Dance

The gown did not belong to me.

That was the first thing I thought when I saw myself in the mirror. It was too beautiful to feel like mine—an elven gown made from layers of white organza, light enough to move whenever I breathed. Silver and crystal stars had been sewn across the fabric, catching the warm bedroom light in tiny flashes.

I lifted one side of the skirt and turned carefully.

For a moment, I did not recognize the woman in the glass.

She looked as though she belonged in an ancient forest, standing beneath a moon that had watched over the world for a thousand years. I, meanwhile, was still worried about stepping on the hem and ruining something I had borrowed.

“You’re going to be late,” she called from the other room.

“I’m trying not to destroy the dress.”

“You’ve said that six times.”

“Because there are at least six ways I could destroy it.”

Her laugh came through the partially open door. It was warm, low, and familiar—the kind of sound that made an unfamiliar gown and a strange evening feel less intimidating.