Page 63 of Small Town Sash

"Own it, Hadley," she told herself, taking the first step.

"Work it, Queen," Candace shouted from the side, and laughter danced through the room.

"Thank you," Hadley's voice rang clear and jubilant. She waved as she walked along the stage, each gesture a note in a symphony of triumph. This was her—unfiltered, unfettered, unbeatable.

"Guess you can win by being more than pretty," she mused aloud, the crown catching the light, sparkling as brightly as her future.

A half-hour later, confetti still clung to her hair, an emblem of the night's unexpected magic. The crowd's applause still echoed in her ears, a harmonious backdrop to the new rhythm of her life.

"Champagne showers and greasy fries, that's how winners do it, right?" Braden's voice cut through the haze of her euphoria as he approached, his grin as infectious as the energy pulsating through the room.

"Only the classiest for this queen," Hadley shot back, the title feeling less like a crown and more like a medal she'd earned in a marathon of self-discovery.

Braden offered his arm, a knight escorting her from her latest battlefield. "I always knew you had it in you," he said, his brown eyes reflecting pride and something deeper.

"To win?" Hadley teased, slipping her arm through his.

"To win your own way."

"Guess I'm full of surprises, too," she winked, the cheerfulness in her chest lifting her words into a playful lilt.

"Speaking of surprises..." He led her toward the exit, where cheers erupted.

"Surprise," a chorus of familiar voices wrapped around her like a warm embrace.

"Oh my gosh, guys, you all waited for me," Hadley's laughter bubbled up, her friends' faces blurring into a kaleidoscope of joy.

"Of course we did," Avery cooed with a wide grin, clinging onto Hunter's arm. "Your victory deserves to be celebrated."

"Let's get this party started," Candace shouted, and the group moved en masse, a sea of camaraderie flowing out into the night.

"Anywhere specific in mind?" Hadley asked, the reality of her victory still a distant concept compared to the immediacy of her friends' elation.

"Your favorite dive bar," Jenesa said as she walked beside her husband, "where the fries are golden, and the best memories are made."

"Sounds perfect," Hadley murmured as her heart did a somersault, the simplicity of the plan grounding her in the moment.

"Queen Hadley," Avery called, nudging her with a smile, "ready to ditch the heels for a pair of sneakers?"

"Born ready," Hadley declared, stepping out of her pumps and into the promise of a night unscripted, her laughter the truest crown she could ever hope to wear.

"And don't forget," Jenesa added with a smile of her own, "We're treating you this time."

The evening toasted to the melody of laughter and cheer, each moment dipped in golden frames of camaraderie.

"Where are those world-famous fries?" Jenesa pouted playfully as they entered the dive bar. "The baby isn't going to wait.

"Coming right up," Danny winked, disappearing toward the counter.

As laughter filled the corners of their night, Hadley looked around at her friends. The crown on her head felt lighter; she didn't feel like a queen but rather a girl among friends who saw her for who she truly was—not a beauty queen but just...Hadley.

"Here's to Hadley," Braden raised a toast, their glasses clinking in symphony.

"To Hadley," they chorused back, and as she looked at their smiling faces drenched in the soft bar lights. Hadley knew she wouldn't trade it for anything else.

"You okay it's ending?" Braden asked softly as they walked out much later into the cool night.

"Totally. It's the perfect end," she smiled back.

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