Chapter 5
Dawn arrived not gentle, not subtle, but sudden, on the day she had both dreaded and looked forward to. The morning passed in a blur of necessary activity: coffee, waking the boys, preparing their breakfast. Her own stomach was a knot of nerves, too nauseated for food. She hurried them out the door, backpacks swinging, and returned to the silence of her bedroom.
Helpless before her closet, she stood frozen in indecision, biting her lip, shifting her weight from foot to foot, until she saw her favorite dress. It was pale pink, a light fabric that flowed over her body like an all-day hug. This dress always made her feel both beautiful and confident. She needed a mask of confidence, something to contrast the inferiority she felt in her heart. She showered, applied a light shield of makeup, sprayed on perfume, and fled the house. She was distracted. In…
