Chapter 22

• The morning light arrived softly in the boutique, warm and forgiving.
• I moved slowly, deliberately, as I stepped across the wooden floor and let my eyes travel across the room I had come to know in a new way. There was no grand entrance. No ribbon to cut. I was simply Juliana Cross again, showing up. That was new enough.
• I paused just inside the doorway while the early team moved around me. Stylists arranged racks. Assistants placed delicate floral arrangements with care. The scent of white lilies mingled with the earthier notes of linen and fresh cotton. It smelled like steadiness. Like something quietly stitched back together.