‘Are you sure you’re feeling okay?’ Lara asks for about the hundredth time as they enter the first dress shop.

‘I’m fine,’ Penelope insists. She agreed to go shopping with Lara weeks ago to help her find an outfit for a wedding—before the whole ‘I’ve got cancer’ announcement. Lara had said they didn’t need to do it anymore, but Penelope wants to do things like this, she wants to at least try to feel normal even though it’s becoming increasingly hard with a cloud of tiredness trying to weigh her down.

‘Okay, but tell me when you’ve had enough,’ Lara tells her as she starts shifting through a rack. ‘I pulled absolutely everything out of my cupboard again last night and I haven’t even got a backup outfit. Nothing fits anymore.’

Thankfully Lara’s kids are in day care. Sometimes they’re cute and funny, but most of the time they’re just grubby and whingy. ‘We’ll find something,’ Penelope assures her. She used to go shopping with Miranda all the time. Miranda would know if something was going to work when it was still on the hanger and always had an uncanny ability to find bargains. Penelope, on the other hand, has always had a knack of falling in love with the latest full-priced items.

‘What do you think about this?’

It’s red and high-waisted, not the right colour or shape for Lara. Penelope nods. ‘It’s nice.’ But then she hears Miranda’s honesty in her head. ‘But I think we can find something better.’

They pop in and out of shops, Lara trying on several dresses, but nothing being quite right.

‘It’s hopeless,’ she sighs. ‘I’m not going to find anything. Everything is either too tight or too old-fashioned. How did I let myself put on this much weight?’

‘Lara, you’re beautiful. We’re going to find you something. Come on, let’s go in here.’ Penelope looks up at the Dress Me Up sign at the front of the shop and wills it to have the perfect dress. She doesn’t want to have to let Lara go home feeling depressed.

‘Okay.’ Lara’s reluctant. ‘But if I don’t find anything, I’m calling it quits.’

They’re only a few steps in and instantly both gasp. An emerald wrap dress hangs at the end of one of the racks.

‘Oh, I love that.’

‘Try it on.’

Lara is hesitant as she takes it, smoothing her hand over the fabric. ‘It probably won’t fit me.’

Penelope sits down outside the change room, weariness starting to take over. She notices two women arrive. They look like mother and daughter. The mother gets straight to business, quickly flicking through clothes hangers while the daughter sighs and pulls her phone from her pocket, staring down at the screen.