Chapter 186

• The idea had been forming quietly for weeks, almost like a thread in the back of my mind that refused to disappear. The new collection was ready, the jackets with Mateo’s silk sitting neatly on their racks, but I did not want the launch to be loud. There had been enough noise in my life, enough headlines and speculation. This time, I wanted something different.
• So instead of arranging a traditional opening or calling in the usual photographers, I sent out handwritten invitations to a select list of customers—those who had supported the boutique in quiet, steady ways over the years. The note was simple: An evening of new work. No press, no photos. Just the pieces, and the people who wear them.
• Claudia helped me prepare the space. The day of the showing, we closed the boutique early, locking the door two hours before our first guests would arrive. The air inside was warm with the faint scent of cedar from the display trays and a hint of lavender from the sachets we placed in the fitting rooms. The lighting was softer than usual, each section of the boutique glowing as if the garments themselves were the source.