As soon as I stepped into the warm glow of the Christmas gathering, it felt like the room softened around me—the lights, the music, the quiet shimmer of my dress moving with every breath. I wasn’t trying to be the center of anything, yet people glanced over with that gentle surprise reserved for holiday magic. In the reflection of a window framed with garlands, I caught a glimpse of myself and thought, just for a moment, that I looked exactly how I hoped this season would feel.