I stared into the silvery full-length mirror, wondering at the woman who gawked back at me with the same unwavering intensity.
The dress I wore fit me to perfection, bespoke and beyond breathtaking. Made just for me.
It was a mermaid gown with a deep sweetheart neckline, fashioned from a heavy champagne fabric. The lovely satin sheen was dulled somewhat by a layer of delicate, barely-there lace that must have been handsewn just for this dress. And as though that weren’t extra enough, the lace had little topaz gems strung throughout. Tiny droplets of sunshine that spiralled out in meandering branches.
I looked like a million bucks. Maybe even literally.
My naturally tan skin had been polished and bronzed to a healthy California glow. I dripped gold and crystal under the warm lights
