The boutique stayed open late that night, though we had no customers and no new collection to display. The team moved quietly, not because of exhaustion, but because there was something sacred about the quiet. Claudia had made tea and left it warming in the corner. Helena stood by the drafting table, slowly aligning fabric swatches in small rows of color. One of the interns was stitching by hand, her needle moving in gentle arcs as if trying to match the rhythm of the room.

Julian had not ...