Page 2 of Small Town Sash

"Focus, Hadley. If you're a good girl and nail this next walk, I'll take you to the Coffee Loft."

"Really? And you'll let me get a coffee?" Hadley asked as she narrowed her eyes in disbelief.

"Of course," her mom said, oblivious to Hadley's skepticism. "I'm not a monster."

"Deal," Hadley stated with an approving nod.

"All right, now that you seem properly motivated, it's time for you to put on your game face."

Hadley let out a sigh, adjusting her tiara one last time before stepping onto the makeshift stage. She plastered on a smile as her mother turned up the lights.

"And here we have the stunning Hadley Wilder," her mother announced as if she were the MC for the pageant.

"Thank you, thank you," Hadley said, waving to the empty room with feigned enthusiasm. She smirked as she mimicked her mom, "Today's forecast: a high chance of winning."

"Enough with the sarcasm," her mother admonished with a frown. "Runway spin, now."

Hadley blew out a breath, turned, and began her return walk down the makeshift catwalk. One foot in front of the other, hips swaying like a pendulum. She had done this a million times before, and it felt just as dull as ever.

"Excellent," her mother clapped from her seat on the couch. "Now for the final turn and wave."

Hadley turned, gave her pageant wave—elbow, elbow, wrist, wrist—and mouthed 'coffee' toward her mom as though it was her winning word.

Her mother shook her head and sighed. "All right, Hadley, I suppose you've earned your coffee break."

"Finally," Hadley breathed out in relief. Shedding her queenly demeanor like an old coat, she quickly scrambled to her room to get ready for her much-needed freedom.

"Always so quick to leave the limelight," her mother grumbled disapprovingly as she followed after her.

"Yes, because there's a million other things I'd rather do other than parade myself around like a show pony."

"There you go, being dramatic again," her mother scolded as she reached into her closet and pulled out a floral dress. "Wear this one. We want you to look your best for the next few weeks before the pageant starts. We have no idea who the judges are going to be, so you need to make a good impression on everyone."

"Whatever you say, Mom," Hadley mumbled as she took the dress to oblige her.

As they left their home-turned-pageant-stage behind, Hadley couldn't help but glance back at her sparkling tiara and sash resting on the table. A symbol of a legacy she never wanted but couldn't escape.

Several minutes later, Hadley anxiously waited in line at the Coffee Loft. The earthy aroma of roasted coffee beans mingled with the scent of fresh pastries, a siren call to any soul not bound by pageant diets.

"What will you have, Hadley," Michelle asked with a friendly smile.

"A large cup of your French Roast," Hadley ordered with eager anticipation.

"Make sure it's black," her mother reminded the coffee shop owner, peering over the rim of her designer glasses at Michelle behind the counter.

"Of course, Mrs. Wilder," Michelle replied with a practiced smile, handing over the coffee.

"Mom, I could use a little milk in my—" Hadley started.

"Black, Hadley. Calories," her mother cut in, eyes scanning the room as if the walls themselves might disagree.

Hadley suppressed a sigh and nodded. "Black," she affirmed, doing her best to hide her disappointment.

Hadley's fingers curled around the warm porcelain mug, steam curling up like the tendrils of her own black hair. She took a careful sip of the scalding liquid, feeling it burn all the way down. It matched her mood—bitter and too hot to handle.

"Let's sit for a moment," her mother suggested, moving toward a window-side table, leaving Hadley trailing behind.

They settled into a silence that was almost comfortable, punctuated only by the clinks of spoons against porcelain and the soft murmur of patrons. Hadley watched the world outside—the real world, where people weren't weighed by crowns or sashes.

---