.

(The Dress)

Less than twelve hours earlier, Anna's life had been on a different path. A path that had the potential for success in life, for happiness. But she had veered from that path drastically, violently, and she didn't know where this new path would take her. Gone were the days when she could blame her bad decisions on her mother's death or on her father's harsh upbringing. She was responsible for what came of her actions now. Responsible for the three lives taken, for the blood that had been washed down the drain, for the vintage dress crumpled up in a garbage bag. Her mother's dress: ruined.

She put on her thick, pink robe after stepping out of the shower and brushed her hair in front of the mirror, the same way she always did. Muscle memory just going through the motions. Her mind felt numb, the anger and urgency from the morning had completely diminished, and now, she didn't know what to feel.

Everything was different. Her relationship with Nina would never be the same again. It had been strained for years, but now it was broken. It was a mirror shattered into a thousand pieces that could never be put together again. It would not be worth the effort, it would not be worth all the cuts, all the pain.

Anna was different too, even if she didn't know what to feel, even if she couldn't physically see, she knew that she was different. And that made everything worse because it meant that she was the same as Nina, a killer. She couldn't even look down on her sister anymore, couldn't even condemn her actions because that would mean that Anna was a hypocrite. And she refused to be both a killer and a hypocrite.

Now that she was a murderer, how could she go on with her life? How could she go to school and think about exams and parties? What would she tell Jenny?

She couldn't see Jenny. She would worry, and ask too many questions, and- She saw Jenny on the floor, in a white dress, covered in blood. Anna's heart began to race. She wanted to leave, go anywhere that wasn't full of bad memories. But leaving wouldn't do any good when all the images were in her head.

She walked out of the bathroom and sat on her bed, staring off into space until she heard her aunt's voice followed by a light knock on the door.

"Anna? Are you all right?"

"...Yes, Auntie."

Anna sighed as she stood and went to open the door. Christina stood holding a large silver box, there was genuine concern in her eyes as she looked at Anna.

"How are you, darling?"

"Fine."

"Good." Christina said. "I've just received confirmation that everything has been taken care of. It will be in all the newspapers tomorrow, in all the news stations. It appears the Callahans have been victim to carbon monoxide poisoning."

Anna stared at her aunt for a moment, thinking it was an ill-timed joke. "...The bullet holes tell a different story."

Christina shrugged, but her demeanor remained serious. "How would the public know that?"

"How many times have you done this before?"

"Enough times." Christina held up the box. "I have something for you." She set it on the bed and removed the lid. She pulled out a long, red dress and held it up for Anna to see before laying it out next to the box.

Anna sat next to it and slowly ran her hand over the strapless bodice admiring its texture. Her eyes were drawn to the embroidery on the skirt, a multicolored bird with long, elegant tail feathers. It reminded her of something she'd seen when she was a child, maybe at a zoo. The memory was blurry, but it brought her comfort.

"This is gorgeous, Auntie."

Christina smiled. "You like it? I bought it years ago, but I only wore it once. I've always had a good eye for fashion and thought you would look lovely in it, but it's so hard to know what girls your age will like." She picked it up and handed it to Anna. "Can I see how it looks on you?"

The last thing Anna wanted to do was try on a dress, but after everything she had put her aunt through, it was the least she could do. She took off the robe and slipped into the dress. After Christina helped her with the zipper on the back, Anna walked over to the full-length mirror. It wasn't a perfect fit, but it had potential.

Christina gently pulled the fabric at the waistline. "It will have to be taken in, you have such a little waist. We can alter it however you want."

Anna turned her body and looked at her reflection over her shoulder. "Maybe a bow at the back?." She turned to face her aunt. "Would you be upset if a slit was cut into it?"

"Whatever you want, darling, it's yours now." Christina smiled again before sighing. "You looked so grown up in your mother's dress today."

Anna felt a weight in her chest. "It's ruined, I shouldn't have worn it."

"It's all right, I may have some photographs of your mother wearing it. I took those pictures at her her engagement party. She was just twenty years old, not much older than you. I'll look for them tomorrow." She put her hands on Anna's shoulders as they both looked at her reflection. "Our family has always been blessed with good looks, but you and your sister are both so beautiful. You could have been models or actresses."

Anna shook her head and turned away from the mirror, she slowly ran her fingertips over the embroidery on the dress. "Nina hates me."

"Do you hate her?"

"I don't know."

Christina sat on the edge of the bed and reached out for Anna's hand, she took it and sat next to her. "I think you're both angry, grieving. Grief does strange things to our minds, twists our emotions."

"What if we never stop being angry?"

Christina patted Anna's hand but didn't say anything. What could she say? She wasn't their mother, and what had happened between Anna and Nina could not be fixed, not by anyone.

Anna spoke for the sake of breaking the silence, of changing the subject. "Will you move to Vienna now?"

Christina shook her head, then let go of Anna's hand. "No… I've ended it with Viktor."

"Why? I thought you loved him."

"I do."

"Did he break up with you?"

"No, he loves me too."

"Then, why?"

Christina waved a hand dismissively. "It doesn't matter."

"Don't talk to me like I'm a child."

"You're right, I'm sorry." She nodded then sighed. "I broke up with him because I love him. He's got his boys, the youngest one is only nine. He thinks that they like their stepfather best, but those boys need their father, and if they lost him because of me, because of our family...I wouldn't be able to live with myself. I'd rather know that he's safe, that his family is safe, even if that means I can't be with him."

"I'm so sorry, Auntie. If it's my fault-"

"It's not, I should have ended it with him a long time ago, but I was selfish, I just wanted…"

To be happy, normal. Anna thought, but she couldn't even say it out loud. She felt close to tears. What good was all the wealth and the prestige that came with the Williams name if it meant that one could never be happy?

Christina put her hand on her shoulder. "It's done now, no choice but to move on…" She nodded and looked around the room before looking at Anna again. "Now that we're speaking woman to woman, I want to say something that I've wanted to say for a very long time. I never did because I knew that Richard would not approve."

"What is it?"

"People have been saying unkind things about you and your behavior. Don't let it affect you. You can't be in our line of work and worry about what people think of you." She looked down at the box on the bed and began to trace the edge with her finger. "Those rumors I've heard about you..."

"You want to know if they're true?"

She shook her head and looked at Anna again. "It doesn't matter if they're true or if they're only rumors, that's something you can keep to yourself if you want. Again, I'm sorry I didn't do this years earlier... I wanted to talk to you because I know that men can be forceful. I don't mean physically, I know you can take care of yourself in that regard. What I want is to make sure that you have not done anything you did not want to do."

"No, Auntie. It was always my choice."

Christina nodded then looked into Anna's eyes. "Listen, darling, some men will feel entitled, expect you to give while they take, act like you owe them something just for being a woman. You owe them nothing. Never forget that. In our line of work, they will underestimate you because you're a woman. When they realize that you are better than they are, that you're offered more jobs, most men will be intimidated, and some will be resentful. But don't let your guard down because there are a few who will try to harm you because they don't take kindly to being bested by a woman, especially one they desire."

Anna scoffed. "They do like to be in charge."

"If you let them think that they are, they won't figure out that you're a threat until it's too late."

Anna nodded. She wondered what womanly advice her mother would have given her. It would have been different, because if her mother were alive, Anna would never have become a killer. Now, her only career choice was in the Williams line of work. The world had been full of possibilities less than a day earlier.

Christina stood from the bed. "Come." Anna joined her in front of the mirror again. "Have you thought about cutting your hair shorter? Maybe above the shoulders." She gently took a section of Anna's hair and folded it above her collar bone.

"I was actually talking to Jenny about that last week." She smiled as she imagined how she would look with short hair, wearing her beautiful new dress. "I'd like that."

"Good." Christina nodded. "First thing tomorrow, we're going to my seamstress. We'll go get your hair done while we wait for the alterations."

"I was hoping to sleep in tomorrow."

"You can't. I've set up a very important meeting for you and Nina. I want you to wear this."

Anna turned to look at her aunt. "This dress for a meeting? That's overkill."

Christina's expression turned dark. "...Sometimes overkill is exactly what you need."

"What type of meeting is it?"

"We're in a bit of a precarious situation." She shook her head. "I'm sorry, you're right, Anna, you're not a child anymore. The meeting is about our future. It may be a life and death situation."

Anna felt her heart race, she felt disappointed in herself. How could she have thought that Christina could take care of everything after the mess she and Nina had made. "Why are you just telling me now?"

Christina sighed. "I wanted to ease you into it. You've had a hard day. I told you that everything at the Callahan house had been taken care of, and that's true to a point. But now there are questions and concerns that need to be addressed. And some powerful and dangerous men want to know that you and your sister aren't a threat to them."

"A threat? How could we be a threat? Do the Callahans have more family?"

"They had connections, Thomas Callahan had many connections." She put her hands on Anna's shoulders. "I can't tell you more because I don't know more, but from what I know of these things...It will be vital that you and Nina present a united front, no matter what."

"I understand, Auntie, but Nina will never agree to go anywhere with me. "

"I'll speak to her, and don't worry, she knows who these things work. The two of you need to be confident, respectful, and to agree to all their terms, whatever they are. I would go in your place if I could, but you pulled the trigger, and they know that."

"Are you in danger, Auntie?"

"We all are, darling. But they agreed to the meeting, so there's hope for us. Promise me that you'll do as I say. It's not about what happens to me, I just can't lose you girls."

"I'm sorry, I should have come to you before...everything." You would be safe, Margaret would be alive, and I'd be leaving for Paris.

Christina looked sternly at her. "No tears. No dwelling in the past. I was young once too, I've made my share of mistakes, you just weren't alive to hear about them. I told you there's hope, all you have to do is follow my instructions. And pray."