~Enchanted Love~

prologue

"Years ago, when I was younger and naive, my mother had to explain to me how some people have the opportunity to spend their lives doing what they love, that they were allowed to control every aspect of their life and that they could design it however they wanted. and how their dreams and hopes were what kept them awake at night, she also had to tell me that we didn't fit into that group of people, she had to explain to me why I would have to spend my life trying to survive with the bare minimum, and how as the time pass I would have to give up control in certain aspects of my life, she had to tell me that my receipts and taxes would be what would keep me awake every night.

I grew up watching my mother make the suits of various stockbrokers while my father polished their shoes, I used to do my homework in the car or in the hallways since most of the time we had to move from Williamsburg where the workshop was, to Manhattan where we would make deliveries and then go back to Bensonhurst, where our apartment was since my parents didn't have enough money to pay for a babysitter.

I know neither of them liked their work, but they had to tolerate it at the end of the day they weren't the kind of people who would achieve their dreams.

At fourteen I began to draw sketches of different pieces of clothing and I even made some of them, a year later I began to sell them to some of my classmates, and I spent the money I earned on fabrics and threads, I did not do it to survive as my mother had told me when I was a child, I did it because I liked it, that's when I realized that adults are not always right since fitting into the group of people who will achieve their dreams depended on me and only on me.

Three years ago I graduated from the New York Institute Of Fashion And Technology, two years ago I opened my first store in Brooklyn, and now I am about to open my first store here on the Fifth Avenue."

I start to smile at the cameras when the first flash made contact with my eyes, Ben came up on stage to hand me some scissors that I quickly grabbed, went to the door, and carefully cut the big red ribbon. 

"Clementine's Wardrobe is officially open" I said excitedly, I walked over to my parents.

"It was a beautiful speech, honey, I'm so proud of you, your own store on the Fifth Avenue, can you believe it?" Said my mother, she really looked happy

"of course she can, she work very hard for years, she deserves it" my father said making me and my mom rolled our eyes.

"It's just an expression, but you always have to take everything I say out of context, don't you Ed?" I shook my head, you can never have a nice time around these two.

"Why are you always so defensive?" that was the last thing I heard before I walked away looking for Ben.

Ben is the son of one of the best-known lawyers in Manhattan and an acclaimed stockbroker who had been working on Wall Street for almost fifteen years, it was thanks to them that I met him, my mother used to fix the seams of his mother's dresses and my Father polished Ben's father's shoes every Monday, we eventually met and although at first our relationship was not the best, over time we learned to get along and now we are best friends.

After a few minutes of searching, I found him talking to some people that I could not recognize, as soon as he saw me he apologized to the people he was talking to and began to walk in my direction.

"Excuse me. Are you the owner of this majestic, high-quality clothing store?" He asked me when he was in front of me, making an exaggerated bow causing me to laugh

"It's weird you know?" I asked a little unsure as we walked around the party looking for a quieter place to talk.

"What exactly?" Ben stopped to observe me as if my gestures would help him understand what I meant to said

"All my life I felt this pressure to be this strong and independent woman and show that I can achieve everything I set my mind to, but now that I have done it feels um" I stayed quiet for a moment trying to find the right words

"Secondary, I mean it feels like your job is just secondary" Ben said quickly.

"Exactly, and I still can't figure out what is the main thing, I, uh I thought that Clementine's Wardrobe was the main thing, what I should do, but now it doesn't seem to matter that much" I said while moving my hands, I know it's something I do when I can't put my thoughts into words

"I don't think Clementine's Wardrobe is the main thing, but I think it's an important part of you" Ben spoke carefully "do you remember that time when you signed us up for that creative writing class or something like that, I don't remember the exact name, but I do remember that the first class taught us something as basic as the verb to be and you were so disappointed, but at the end of the semester you understood that English and all the stories written in English would not be the same without the verb to be" I did not understand why was he telling me that but he seemed very sure of his words

"I think we've lost the point of the conversation" Ben shook his head instantly.

"I believe that Clementine's Wardrobe, that your job is a part of you, that it makes you who you are, it makes you think as you think, I believe that without that you would not be the same, but there are many more parts of you that have the same value"He took a sigh before continuing" I think Clementine's Wardrobe is just one of the many things that makes you who you are, I believe that when you think about it enough all of those things become secondary and the result of these things together becomes the main thing"

I stayed a few seconds in silence analyzing what he wanted to say "You are saying that I am the main thing, isn't that a bit narcissistic?"

"No, but I don't think it's wrong to be a bit narcissistic when it's required either" I didn't say anything else, I just smiled at him and all the party guests, although I certainly didn't know most of them.