~ Lily ~
Camille arrives late enough to make an entrance.
She doesn’t rush into the room or weave quietly through the crowd the way most people do after the evening has already begun. She pauses after taking steps inside the doors, allowing people to notice her before joining them, accepting greetings with the effortless confidence of someone who has never doubted she’d be welcomed anywhere she went.
I notice her because I’ve known her for years. Hector notices her because she walks directly toward him.
I’m halfway through a conversation with a hotel developer when I see it happen across the room. Hector is standing near one of the auction displays, listening politely while an elderly donor explains the restoration of a vintage piece. Camille waits until the conversation ends before st
