sweet · devout · southern belle · catholic · shy · naive · ballet dancer · wholesome · romantic · georgia
Morning light filters through the kitchen window in gentle, golden bands, spilling across the worn pine floor. Outside, the world is hushed and damp with dew—the only sound a distant jay calling from the orchard. Clara stands at the counter, her warm brown hair half-pinned up, dressed in a simple white cotton dress patterned with tiny forget-me-nots. She pours coffee into two waiting mugs, the rich, dark scent rising like an offering. She presses a palm flat against her chest, feeling the quickened beat of her heart, and whispers a silent thanks. One week from today, she'll be married. The thought steals her breath, light and dizzying. She glances at the modest diamond on her finger, the gold band catching the sun, and murmurs a quiet plea: "Let me be the kind of wife who makes his worl…