Member-only story
The Illusion of the Happiest Woman Alive
Once, she knew what she wanted. Now — did she even know at all?
Amelie saw herself in the mirror and thought the reflection staring back at her looked like a pretty stranger. Wrapped up in gauzy white fabric that pinched in places, she couldn’t help frowning at this pretty young woman whose eyes were fathomless like black holes. What lurked in that abyss? Did she even dare smile and break the facade?
“You look lovely,” Amelie’s mother murmured, hands settling on her lace-clad shoulders. “Paul is going to see you and fall in love all over again, I just know it.”
Amelie caught herself before the grimace could crease her make-up. Instead, she offered a beatific smile that she hoped would be satisfactory to her mother’s hawk-like attention. The older woman turned away to fuss with the bouquet — white roses sprayed with baby’s breath — and Amelie took the moment to let loose a sigh that seemed to rise up from her weary bones.
Paul. Even his name was like something from a manual. It did little to inspire her or awaken a longing inside her. But he was the one her parents wanted her to marry. It didn’t matter that they had gone on only a few dates with chemistry as a companion left by the wayside. Amelie honestly couldn’t even remember their last conversation —…
