Chapter 187

• The email came in just after opening, but I did not read it until nearly eleven. Mornings at the boutique often moved in a rhythm of their own—checking displays, greeting customers, adjusting fabrics in the light. It was only when Claudia stepped out to take a call and the shop was quiet that I sat at the counter with my tea and opened my inbox.
• The subject line read: Invitation to Join the National Sustainability Council for Fashion.
• I read it twice before leaning back in my chair. The council was a coalition of designers, manufacturers, and policymakers who were supposed to set guidelines for sustainable practice in the industry. I had followed their work over the years, sometimes agreeing with their positions, sometimes frustrated by their compromises. Being invited to join them was unexpected.