The afternoon sun streamed through the apartment windows, warm and golden, as I stared at the rack of outfits before me, feeling like my heart might leap out of my chest. Today was the day. The award ceremony.
The moment I'd been working toward all these months. And yet, as I glanced at the gown hanging in the center of the rack, a deep crimson with a flowing skirt and intricate beading along the bodice, I felt the overwhelming urge to crawl under my bed and hide.
"Elena, you're overthinking again," Carmen said from behind me, her voice teasing but laced with concern. I turned to find her sitting cross-legged on the couch, flipping through a magazine but watching me closely.
Her dark hair was neatly styled, her jawline sharp as always, and she was already halfway dressed in her tailored black pants and white shirt. The matching suit jacket hung neatly over the back of the chair.