Hello

Keziah stood in front of the full length mirror with a slight frown. The two women seated behind her held similar expressions. The dress was strapless, white, contrasting with her porcelain skin in such a way that it almost made her glow. The strawberry blonde hair she was used to leaving down was pinned off her shoulders and a single ring adorned her left hand. She turned to her right to get a better look at the back and shook her head.

“This isn’t it.” She faced the two women who nodded in agreement. “This is the fifth one!”

“Kez, darling, this isn’t something that’s going to happen overnight and you know it.” Erica Kane stood from her chair and took Keziah’s hand in hers. Since the absence of her best friend, Keziah had turned to her fiance’s sister for ideas for the wedding. The blonde was gorgeous, tan, and one of the nicest people she had met. But even with Erica standing next to her, Keziah still felt like something was missing.

“I know. I just, this is so frustrating! I can’t believe they discontinued the one that I wanted.” Keziah rubbed the side of her face gently. “This is the most important piece of the puzzle and nothing is working.”

“Let’s go out for lunch,” the second woman stated. Her hair was the same color as Keziah’s but her eyes were a golden brown. They shared most of the same physical traits but personality wise, she fell under the wing of her father. “You need to clear your head.”

“Your mom is right.” Erica squeezed her hand. “Get dressed and we’ll go.”

The sun reflected off the tall buildings stretching to the sky. Keziah and Erica walked arm in arm while Penny, Keziah’s mother, kept in stride just behind them. The bridal shop was on the corner of Grand Avenue and Michigan Avenue, one of the busiest streets in Chicago. Keziah had lost track of all the restaurants and bars that lined the city.

Elephant and Castle was off Wabash, a few blocks away from where they were. Most of the tables were empty at two in the afternoon but that didn’t stop the girls from chatting away wildly. Erica blabbed about the bridesmaid dresses and how perfect they were while Penny chimed in now and then about the flowers. Once the waiter had taken their order Keziah lazily stared out the window tapping her fingers on the table. She watched a small food tour pass by and made a face at one of the children who gripped their mother’s arm. Her green eyes passed over a face briefly before she looked at Erica.

Blinking a few times she quickly looked back out to the sidewalk. Her mouth hung open and she suddenly felt her heart racing in her chest.

“Kez? What is it?” Erica caught the sudden change in body language and craned her neck.

Keziah opened her mouth to speak but the person was gone, melting into the large crowd crossing the street. For a moment she thought it had been her, but shook her head. “Sorry, I thought I saw someone I knew.”

It had been two years since she spoke to her friend, her sister, her roommate.

Now she was a ghost in the back of her mind.