Lauren's Apartment next morning.

Lauren stood in front of her closet, staring at the row of clothes. She'd been standing there for twenty minutes, paralyzed by the simple act of choosing what to wear.

Professional but not too formal. Confident but not aggressive. The kind of outfit that said I'm taking control of my life instead of I'm terrified to leave my apartment. Which was a lie. This wasn't her. She was strong and knew how to look after herself. She lived in New York, for the love of ...