Maddison's POV
The cold wind later in the day was so much that it bit her bare skin and the thin silk of her dress seemed useless. Maddison didn't shiver. Not tonight.
The voice of the Mayor was vibrating behind the velvet curtain on the stage.
"...changed what is possible... Maddison Harrison, gentlemen and ladies, welcome her."
The curtain pulled back.
The world broke out into blinding white light.
Maddison stepped forward. Her footwear sunk in the red carpet. Many years ago she was walking on wooden planks on her college stage to receive her best graduating student award at UNC. She remembered searching the crowd and failed to see the one face she was looking for. Tyler broke her heart on that day.
An unpleasant feeling rose up her throat. She forced it back down.
This night sh
