Chapter 1

Sydney stood in the bedroom closet, her fingers fumbling with the tiny button at the top of the zipper on her black satin dress. She tugged, twisted, and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge. “Come on,” she muttered under her breath, her frustration growing with each attempt.

She took a breath and glanced at herself in the mirror. 'I couldn’t have outgrown this already, could I?' She thought to herself. The dress was one of her old favorites, clinging to her curves in all the right places—well, it would if she could just get it zipped. “Evan?” she called out, voice slightly strained. “Can you help me with this?”

Moments later, her husband Evan appeared in the doorway, half-dressed, his button down shirt slung over his shoulder. He walked over, eyes scanning her reflection as she turned her back to him. “Having some trouble?” he asked, stepping closer.

Sydney nodded, a little embarrassed. “I don’t know why this won’t zip. It used to fit perfectly.”
Evan’s hands brushed against her back as he grabbed the zipper and gently tugged upward. It moved a fraction of an inch before stopping. He tried again, more firmly this time, but the fabric barely budged. “It’s close,” he said, his voice careful. “But... it’s not going to zip.”

She turned slightly, catching his eye in the mirror. “What do you mean it’s not going to zip? It fit fine the last time I wore it.”

Evan’s lips twitched into an apologetic smile. “I must have thrown it in the wrong load at some point. You know how satin shrinks if it’s washed wrong.”

Sydney sighed, turning to face him fully. “You’ve been doing that a lot lately,” she said, half-joking, though there was a slight edge to her voice. Her frustration simmered underneath, even if she couldn’t pinpoint why. She was partly relieved to know that it was due to Evan’s terrible laundering skills, not any weight gain on her part.

“I’m really sorry,” Evan said, stepping back a bit. “But hey, maybe it’s for the best? It’s probably too dressy for tonight anyway. Got anything else?”

Sydney turned back toward her closet, scanning the racks of dresses and tops, but nothing seemed right. She stood there, motionless for a moment, unsure.

Evan, sensing her hesitation, reached up and plucked a flowy navy midi dress from the hangers. “How about this one? You always look great in it,” he suggested, handing it to her.

Sydney looked down at the dress, running her fingers over the fabric. She hesitated, still holding on to the idea of the satin dress, but then a smile crept onto her face. “Okay,” she agreed softly.

As she slipped out of the black dress and into the navy one, Evan stepped behind her again, zipping it up without much effort. 'That’s more like it,' she thought, pleased with how easily it seemed to slip on.

“What time is it?” she asked as she adjusted the dress’s neckline in the mirror.

Evan glanced over at the closet island, where his watches were laid out in a neat row. He picked one up, checking the time. “About 5:45.”

Sydney’s eyes widened. “We need to leave soon! The restaurant’s pretty far, and we’re supposed to be there at seven.” She turned back toward her shoes, reaching down to pick out a pair.