The owner, a woman with fire-red hair and a rhinestone jacket, helps me pick out the loudest outfits in the store: bright oranges, sunflower yellows, rich teals, and bold floral prints.
“I’m trying to be easier to see,” I tell her with a half smile as I hold up a fuchsia sundress patterned in giant hibiscus flowers.
She grins. “Then you’re right on track, sweetheart.”
I leave with two shopping bags full of clothes I never would’ve picked six months ago.
But this isn’t about me anymore. It’s about making sure Chase can still see me in whatever fragments of the world are still left.
Around 3:00 p.m. I burst through the front door, out of breath, colorful fabrics and random fruits spilling out of bags as I double over in the living room. “There was…a bear…”
Chase blinks at me from the couch, setting his guitar aside. “I get a lot of those.”
“Well, I was holding a bag of peaches and wearing chartreuse. I figured I had a fifty-fifty shot of being mistaken for a snack or a threat.”
He tilts his head. “What did it do?”
I drag in a breath. “Made eye contact. Judged me. Wandered off. Honestly, it handled things better than I did.”
One corner of his mouth twitches, but he holds it back.
“I also may have left an entire reusable bag of groceries in the driveway,” I add, toeing off my shoes. “So if we’re low on rice, blame the dubious and terrifying Tennessee wildlife.”
Now he smirks. “I knew you were a closet runner.”
“I’m not. But adrenaline plus platform sandals will surprise you.” I finally drop the bags, peeling off my jacket and kicking a pineapple upright. “Also, we’re having stir-fry. Unless the bear comes back for the bok choy.”
He chuckles under his breath.
And just like that, for the first time in eight joyless months, I hear it.
That sound.
The one I was afraid I’d never hear again.
Chase, laughing.
It steals my breath. Whatever breath the bear didn’t take.
I try to shake off the tendrils of emotion, the awestruck glee. Try to play it cool. Clearing my throat, I pull out blouses and dresses, all vivid, all multicolored, all for him. “On the bright side, I’m now the proud owner of twelve outfits that can be seen from space.” I move toward him, harnessing a smile as I hold them up, draping them across my frame. “What do you think? This one has…cacti wearing sunglasses on it…” I squint at the print. “Okay, that’s distinctive. Definitely a vibe. Kenna will be impressed.”
I cringe at my rambling.
Wrinkling my nose, I lift my gaze to Chase as he stares at me. He looks glassy-eyed. A little stunned.
My heart twists. “Everything okay?”
“Yeah, I…” He swallows, scooting closer to the edge as he studies the ridiculous shirt, blinking repeatedly. “You bought those for me?”
I fold in my lips, nodding slowly. “I mean, they’re for me. Unless you’re really bored and want to have a dress-off à la Cameron and Christina inThe Sweetest Thing.”
Still rambling.
I don’t know what’s wrong with me.
Chase’s smile flickers back to life, his shoulders slackening.
I chew my lip, stepping toward him. “You said you could see the purple in my hair. So I just thought maybe you could see—”
