Chapter 1 - A Shade Of Burgundy In The Golden Hour
The afternoon air smelled of cut grass, melted butter from the catering tents, and the expensive perfume drifting off the rows of round tables spread across the emerald lawn. Golden hour sunlight caught the edges of the white floral arches, turning the petals a warm, buttery cream against the darkening blue of the eastern sky. Overhead, festival string lights flickered to life, casting tiny amber dots of illumination that danced in the crystal hanging from the glassware. I kept my weight balanced on my heels, the stiff silk of my burgundy off-the-shoulder dress rustling softly against my knees as I adjusted the strap of my evening clutch.
Across from me, the heavy silver links of a Rolex caught the failing light. Mike shifted his weight, his well-groomed dark three-piece suit uncreased and immaculate despite the humidity rolling in off the valley. His tie was knotted with sharp precision, a dark silk anchor against his crisp white shirt. He gestured with two fingers toward the central pavilion, his tone low and threaded with an easy, proprietary familiarity that made the muscles in the back of my neck contract.
"Mike said you avoid family events?" he asked.
I didn't turn my head immediately. I let the silence stretch, watching a waiter balance a tray of champagne flutes a few yards away. The low murmur of garden party chatter and the distant, polite clinking of glass formed a steady background hum against the soft string music drifting from the hidden speakers. When I finally looked at him, I kept my face entirely flat, letting my gaze drop deliberately to the impeccably tailored lapel of his jacket before rising to meet his eyes with a cold, guarded stare.
"Enjoy the wedding, Mike," I said.
Before he could frame a reply or lean in closer to bridge the gap between us, a sudden flash of pale yellow caught my eye near the edge of the shade trees. A little girl in a pale yellow dress, her head crowned with a delicate circlet of fresh daisies, broke away from the shade of the weeping willow and began bounding across the manicured turf. Her small black patent shoes kicked up blades of grass as she sprinted straight toward me, her arms outstretched and her face flushed with excitement.
"Mommy!" she called out.
The cold tightness in my chest dissolved instantly, replaced by a fierce, protective warmth. I dropped my clutch onto a nearby empty chair, knelt slightly on the damp grass, and opened my arms just as she collided against me with a breathless laugh. I caught her weight easily, burying my face in her soft blonde hair, which still smelled of playground dust and sunblock.
"Hey, sweetheart," I murmured against her temple, smoothing the floral crown back as she pulled away just enough to look up at me with wide, demanding eyes.
"Can we find the chocolate cake?" she asked, her small hand tangling eagerly in the silk of my burgundy sleeve.
"We'll find the cake," I whispered, keeping my arm securely around her waist as I stood back up, guiding her small frame against my side so that she was shielded from the heavier crowd by the drape of my skirt.
As I straightened, a slight movement to my left caught my attention. Standing beside a tall cocktail table, her fingers frozen around the stem of a crystal champagne flute, was an elegant red-haired woman draped in a one-shoulder emerald green satin gown. Her glass hovered half an inch from her lips. Her eyes were wide, fixed entirely on me with a sudden, palpable shock that seemed to drain the color straight from her face. She looked past my hair, past the burgundy dress, down to the little girl clinging to my side, and then back up to my eyes with a recognition that cut through the garden noise like a sudden alarm.
"Tiffany?" she breathed, the name slipping out before she could catch it.
May you like
I didn't answer. I tightened my grip on my daughter's small, warm hand, felt the firm press of the little fingers locking around mine, and turned my shoulder squarely against the green dress, stepping back into the deeper shadows of the floral arch.
###
