Shattered Seconds

Summary

The jet lag was a dull ache behind my eyes, a souvenir from twelve hours of recycled cabin air and three years of being away. I smoothed the silk of my gown as I stepped into the ballroom, the scent of expensive lilies and floor wax hitting me like a physical weight.

"Nora! It’s really you!"

My cousin, Lana, rushed toward me, her bridal train trailing behind her like a white silk cloud. She pulled me into a hug that felt almost like the old days. Almost.

"Three years, Nora. Look at you," she gushed, stepping back to scan me from head to toe.