As she began getting dressed, Ashley again thought of her mother, the one who should have been there. She imagined her voice, her hands helping with the buttons, her quiet reassurance. The absence felt sharper than she expected, a hollow space that no amount of celebration could completely fill.
For a brief moment, Ashley wondered if things might have been different with Rowena if they had both tried harder. The thought passed quickly, almost as soon as it came. There wasn’t time for reflection now. The day was moving forward whether she was ready or not.