Stars in our Hearts

Thirty

I did love her.

I do love her.

But hearing it from her voice was the sound of sweet hummingbirds after a terrifying storm. Breathless and annoyed by myself, I made my way to Mara and Hemera.

I love you.

So simple, so sweet, everything I wanted to hear.

I wanted to say it first.
But now I'll get to say it forever.

And she thinks, fuck, she probably thinks I don't love her when I do.

"Whatever it was you two were talking about seemed pretty intense." Mara looked in the direction Alida had escaped from. "She'll be back in the end, won't she?"

I shrugged my shoulders, "She doesn't need to be back for the end, not until they announce all the designers to come out."

Hemera sighed. Both women looked beautiful in their outfits. Alida had outdone herself. In all my years of modelling and wearing designer clothing, none of them came close to Alida's. Maybe it's the love talking, but her designs were exquisite. "Mara and I think Alida should wear the final dress."

Hemera fixed her dress, her makeup was done so perfectly. If I saw her from outside, I wouldn't think it was Hemera. "You guys thought of that?" I asked.

The final dress she showed us on Friday was beyond gorgeous. When she had shown the three of us, I could only imagine her wearing it and no one else. I guess it made sense, the dress had more emotion in it than the rest of the outfits.

The dress, to me, was based on what we talked about that night on the roof.

The stars.

The stars in our hearts.

"Only she could pull it off," Mara said. She then pointed at the curtains, "It's our time to shine. See you at the end?" She quickly kissed Hemera on the lips and squeezed my arm. "See you at the end," I replied.

She was gonna kill it.

I looked up at the TV screen.

The camera people showed Thea's face. She was red, extremely red. But there was a hint of a smile on her face. If I didn't know any better, I think she loved how Alida went against her words and chose to do the competition.

Mara was a natural on the runway, the veil was behind her and everyone couldn't stop staring at the outfit on her. She was rocking it, her face held a level of professionalism and ego that no one could compare.

Mara was walking back which meant it was Hemera's turn. She was taking deep breaths. I squeezed her shoulder to comfort her, "Go rock everyone's world."

She smiled, "With Alida's dress, I'm rocking the universe." With that said she went out the second Mara came back. There wasn't any time for chit chat so Mara quickly smiled and ran to get changed.

I noticed Alida in the corner where Mara was, her eyes glanced my way before she shut the curtain.

I nibbled on my bottom lip, I should've told her I loved her.

Hemera was killing it on the runway. Mara was serious and edgy, but Hemera was fluttery and smiley. Even though she wasn't speaking, the dress and her aura pounded off of her. People were smiling.

Thea was smiling.

...

A

My mother was smiling.

She was smiling and she had been smiling.

My outfits.