The caption read:
“Melissa’s father handcrafted this dress himself.”
By afternoon my phone buzzed with a message.
“Hello Mark. I own a tailoring shop downtown. If you’re interested in sewing work, give me a call.”
Months later I was still repairing air conditioners during the day and sewing at night.
Eventually the shop owner looked at me and said,
“You know… you could open your own place.”
Six months after that, I rented a tiny storefront two blocks from Melissa’s school.
On the wall hangs a framed photo from her graduation.
Next to it — inside a glass frame — is the little silk dress that started everything.
One afternoon Melissa sat on the counter swinging her legs.
“Daddy?”
“Yeah?”
She pointed at the dress.
“That’s still my favorite one.”
