As the sun began to dip, painting the sky in shades of bruised purple and fiery orange, Lacey climbed the hill overlooking the fairgrounds. Below, the lights of the Ferris wheel began to twinkle like a fallen constellation. She took a deep breath, the warm July breeze tugging at the hem of her lace dress.
As she reached the heart of the festival, the scent of fried dough and blooming jasmine filled the air. She found her friends near the old gazebo, their laughter cutting through the music of a local bluegrass band. They spent the afternoon lost in the simple joys of summer: sharing oversized cones of blue raspberry shaved ice, trying their luck at the ring toss, and watching the younger kids chase bubbles through the grass. 18eighteen lacey july
She smoothed her white lace dress—a vintage find from her grandmother’s attic—and began her walk toward the town square. The lace was intricate, patterned with delicate flowers that seemed to dance as she moved. To Lacey, the dress felt like a bridge between her childhood and the adulthood that waited just around the corner. As the sun began to dip, painting the