My chest tightened. The pandemic had stolen so much—dreams, time, certainty. But not this. "Not today." “Send your measurements ma'am. We will bring you options,” I said, already pulling gowns from racks. Silk, tulle, delicate beadwork glinting under the shop’s dim lights. Mark, my assistant, arrived within the hour, coffee in hand, eyes wide at the madness. “Road trip?” he yawned. The drive to Pampanga was eerie—empty highways, fog clinging to rice fields. The neighborhood was quiet, (2/5)