The small change room smells of new fabric, the space cramped with gowns hanging from hooks on the walls. Melinda glances at them and sighs, taking her place among the white satin and lace. She reaches behind her back and unzips her dress. It slips off her shoulders and falls to the floor in a heavy heap. She hadn't realized how much the dress weighed while she wore it; now that it is off, she can't help but feel free. She catches a glimpse of herself in the mirror and stops, hanger in hand. She studies her reflection, looking for any changes in her appearance that would reflect how much she had grown in the past year. Her eyes appear a bit wiser, and strangely, a bit more sad. She bites her lip and turns away, scooping the dress from the ground. Had it really been a year since her grandmother's death? A year since she met Greg? A year since Wayne first played with her heart?      She hangs the dress on a hook and puts on a pair of jeans and a t-shirt. At the same time, she pushes the unpleasant thoughts from her head. 'Back to reality,' she thinks. There was no time to dwell on the past. Not yet, anyway.