Second-Hand Dresses

Chapter 35: Confrontation

While women rarely fight with knives, the words they wield and the snubbing they employ are far more devastating than any blade.

—Xarmiv da Lam ne Robin

Lily's eyes ached from her crying as she struggled to finish up Nirih's dress. There was only a few parts left until she was done. It should have been a moment of relief but she felt broken instead. Listlessly, she finished sewing a shimmering panel along the waist, her needle working in quick flashes as she secured it with a double row of stitches.

Except for the collar, the remaining pieces were relatively simple and didn't tax her at all. She focused on them, finishing element after element with neat work that brought no joy to her as she connected it to the dress.

To keep from distractions, she had moved all the other dresses out of the back room and closed the door. That way, no one would get the impression anyone was in the store as she focused. She wasn't in the mood for anyone: Kendrick, Djulian, or even her mother.

After a pause to sip from her wine glass, she grabbed the third to last piece and fitted it along the design. It was an expensive, shimmering fabric from the eastern countries; the delicate fabric had a faint cream glow that lit up along her fingers as she shape it to fit. The material costs a thousand jems a square yard but she only needed a few narrow strips for accenting the embroidery.

The bell on the door rang out, a few jingles before silencing.

Lily closed her eyes for a moment. She wasn't up to talking to anyone, much less fighting with Djulian who no doubt was anxious to see her daughter's dress completed.

"Lily?"

At Mindil's voice, a sob rose up in Lily's throat. The fabric in her hand fluttered as she looked fearfully at the door leading to the storefront. As much as she hated it, she'd rather deal with Djulian's abuse than face a furious Mindil. Fear rushed through her veins and she spun around, looking for some way of escaping the inevitable fight.

Spotting the door to her stash, she dropped the glowing fabric and rushed toward it. Her fingers slipped on the handle. Crying, she grabbed it with both hands and yanked it open, stumbling inside, before closing it as quickly as she could. The wood thumped against the frame and she winched at the noise.

The smells of the stash flooded around her, a comforting scent that used to bring a smile to her lips. Her sobs were muted by the folded fabric around her. Pressing one hand against her mouth to quiet herself, she backed away from the door in hopes that Mindil wouldn't think to look inside.

Her heart pounded in her ears as she continued to back away, past the shimmering wards protecting the fabric and the thousand smells that blended into an indescribable perfume. Her eyes remained locked on the door, a tiny sliver of light along the bottom and a crack near the top the only brightness in the narrow chamber.

Seconds seemed to stretch into minutes. With no clocks in the darkened room, the only measure of time was the soft sobs ravaging her through and the rapid beats of her heart. Her vision blurred with her tears as she silently willed Mindil to leave her store.

The door cracked open.

Lily clutched her hand tight across her mouth and a wail rose up.

"Are you in here, Lily?" Mindil asked as she stepped inside holding the strip of glowing fabric. The cream fabric lit up her red dress, giving her a rose-colored halo as she stood in the entrance.

Lily slowly sank to her knees. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry," she said in a muted cry.

"Oh, Lily, you didn't do anything wrong."