She made a brief appearance at the party, for the first time in over a year. She felt anxious about it at first, but was pleased to see familiar faces and all of the fashion editors she knew. She wore a soft white cashmere dress from their own line. It draped over her body, showing off her dark hair down her back and tall black suede high-heeled boots to her thighs. She was the chicest woman in the room, and as soon as the photographers realized she was there, they thronged her, and told her how glad they were to see her. Everyone knew what she’d been through, and no one had seen her publicly in fifteen months. She was surprised by how warm their greetings were, and how comforting it was to feel their support.

“Fabulous place, Theo…gorgeous…love the ice sculptures…so nice to see you back, we missed you,” was what she heard from everyone.

She only stayed for half an hour, and then went home and told Mike about it that night.

“The store looks fantastic,” she told him.

“I’m sure you did too. Send me pictures.” He missed her and wished he could have been with her. The party in New York had been beautifully done, but the sparkling white ultra-modern space for the one in Paris was spectacular. And the one that opened in London the next day was just as big a hit and received accolades from the British fashion press. They said she had a magic touch and hadn’t lost it in her long seclusion. Everyone who was anyone in London had been there, including several royals.