It was the perfect dress. Knee length and bright blue. An empire waist with another two sections in the skirt. The back was like that of a tank top that pulled together in the front like a dress with the usual two straps. And did she mention that it was bright blue?

There was another in purple. And another in a blue and green pattern. But it was the blue one that caught Lena’s eyes. They caught and held.

It was perfect for the party she was going to this weekend. The weather had finally gotten warm. Aside from one weekend with freak 70-degree temperatures in February, it had been one of the coldest winters in recent years.

Now it was finally looking like spring again.

The party was going to be this Friday night. A birthday party for Jessica Wilson, a girl Lena had gone to college with. She hadn’t seen Jessica in a few weeks, but once upon a time they’d been close. According to the Facebook event, Lena knew only a few of the people who were definitely attending. And she hadn’t seen them for a while either. So she decided to get a new outfit for the occasion.

She’d been saving money for months now, on a stringent budget that only allowed for a few frivolities every once in a while.

Her boyfriend had a different concept of money. Jake always said people were happier if they did what they wanted with their money. But he didn’t have to worry about it the way she did. She’d be unemployed for months, living off the savings she’d made at her part-time job. Living off her father.

But after college, until she turned twenty-eight, that was over. She had to make her own way.

But she’d been saving. And she finally found a job. Not a great one, but a full-time one that offered benefits and a much better salary than she was used to. She’d splurge a little extra this month on the dress. No, dresses. She’d get the purple one, too. With a nice jacket, she’d be able to wear them to work, too.

She knew exactly what she’d wear it with. The red shoes. Last month, her splurge had been on a pair of five-inch heeled one inch platform red shoes that wrapped around the foot, tying in three knots at the front of the foot and with a small zipper up the back.

At first, when she’d seen them, she wasn’t sure. But then she’d tried them on. They were the most comfortable heeled shoes she’d ever worn, and the easiest to walk in, since they strapped around the ankle. And she couldn’t stop smiling at how tall she was.

At five-foot-four, Lena was not a short woman, but she wasn’t tall either. And she dearly loved it when she was tall. Thank god for heels, even if she could barely walk in most of them.

So, the blue dress. The red heels. And what jewelry? Of course. The long red necklace she’d gotten in Mexico years ago. She hadn’t had very many opportunities to wear it. But these shoes would change that.

She was in line at the store, waiting for the cashier to ring up her purchases when her phone rang. She looked at the screen and saw she had two missed calls and a text message. Damn store. She never had good reception in it.

It was Lucas, her half-brother. He was twenty years older than Lena, but she was closer to him than she was to most of her other half-siblings. Except maybe Michael, but everyone loved the baby.

“Hey, Lucas,” Lena said when she answered the phone. “What’s up?” It wasn’t unusual for them to talk during the week, but they usually did it via text or a chatting service. Phone calls were generally reserved for weekends when they could have longer talks. Or if something was wrong.

“I tried calling you earlier,” Lucas said. “Where are you?” Something was wrong. She could tell by his tone.

“I’m shopping. I didn’t have service.” Lena paid the cashier and grabbed the bag with her new dresses, heading out of the store where, while she’d still be in public, she felt she’d have a little more privacy. People wouldn’t be quite as close to be able to listen if they were so inclined. And then she’d be in her car. “Lucas, what’s wrong?”

“It’s Aunt Etta.” Lucas took a deep breath, as if deciding how to say something. “Lena. She’s dead.”