“Was that what you were going to wear for Brian?” His voice was hoarse, like his words were stuck in the muck, and he had to pull and pull to get them out. “No, I made this long before I met him,” she said. “I bought something off the rack to wear for him.” She stood alongside Jesse and stared at the dress, and a weird quiet filled the room. She forced herself to look away from the dress, worried she might cry, and his hand slipped to her hip, and he guided her in his direction. “Ella, I—”
