The new dress

The rich sweetness melted on the tip of her tongue, like a simple happiness that she had not fully enjoyed for a long time. When she had finished her meal, she lazily climbed into the hammock, quietly letting herself be swayed by the rhythm of the swing, listening to her anger slowly melt away in the lazy comfort of the late afternoon.

Illustration: AI.

As always, whenever Ngan is angry with her husband, she eats. For her, eating is the most effective way to reduce stress, both simple and immediate. Something delicious to comfort herself more positively than joining the "complaining" group on social networks. If today there is no food sent by her mother, she probably would have surfed through a few apps, immediately ordered a fragrant grilled dish or a cup of sweet milk tea to relieve her sadness.

But when she got up from the hammock, the tight feeling around her abdomen made her uneasy. She slowly walked to the mirror and looked at her face carefully. The mirror reflected a different woman - not the radiant young girl of the past, but a mother, a wife who no longer cared much about her appearance. The lines that once made many men fall in love with her were no longer sharp. A little plumpness on the cheekbones, a little tiredness around the corners of her eyes.

Ngan let out a soft sigh. Since when had her wardrobe been filled with only simple, practical clothes? The soft dresses and high heels that once captivated her were now neatly tucked away in the corner of the closet, giving way to jeans, loose shirts, and flat sandals. How long had it been since she had taken care of herself? How long had it been since she had wondered how she looked to others, to the very man she lived with?

Ngan leaned her head against the sofa, her eyes drifting back to the old days. She remembered the first days Tien appeared in her life. Not noisy, not flashy, just a calm, warm man. When her heart had just gone through the wounds of first love, he came, bringing peace like a gentle harbor.

She loved Tien not passionately, not hastily, but with a simple belief that they could walk together through the years ahead. That love was not a blazing fire, but a warm light that was always on in the small house, were ordinary but solid things. But then, the busy days with food, clothing, money, diapers, children, with responsibilities that grew with the years, pulled her into an endless cycle.

As for Tien, he was no longer as enthusiastic and passionate as he had been in the beginning, his gaze towards her was less passionate, and there were fewer compliments just to make her happy. No one said that marriage would always be like the days of first love, but had she let herself drift too far, so far that she forgot how to hold on to the small emotions? Ngan looked back at herself in the mirror. And in that moment, a thought flashed through her mind: It was time to change.

In the afternoon, Ngan sent her child back to her grandparents' house, rewarding herself with a day of "rebirth". She drove out into the street, feeling both excited and a little strange. How long had it been since she had a day just for herself? The familiar hair salon was still the same, the faint smell of chemicals lingering in the warm space. The hairdresser looked at her long but damaged hair, shook his head slightly, half-reproaching, half-joking:

- You have neglected yourself for too long!

Ngan laughed and nodded in agreement. She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes, and felt the skilled hands gently washing, stroking, and caring for each strand of hair. The warm water flowed down, bringing relaxation to every cell.

Three hours later, she walked out of the salon with her hair styled in a soft, straight style, with five smoky highlights on a modern and youthful deep purple background. Not a huge change, but just enough to make her feel newer and fresher.

Next, she turned into a fashion store. The neat racks of clothes, the soft yellow lights, the smell of brand new fabrics – all made her a little nostalgic. Ngan chose a simple but elegant pastel-colored dress, standing in front of the mirror and admiring herself for a long time. When was the last time she did this? She turned slightly, her hands gliding over the soft fabric. Not because the dress was too beautiful or expensive, but because at this moment, she was looking back at herself – a woman who once knew how to love herself, who knew how to appreciate her appearance. A strange feeling of emotion rose up, as if she had just found a part of herself that had been lost for a long time.

That evening, when Ngan returned, Tien was standing at the door. Seeing her, he was momentarily stunned. She smiled, lifted her skirt slightly, and turned around:

- So, did this new wife surprise you?

Tien looked at her, his eyes were a little surprised, but then the corners of his lips slightly lifted into an amused smile.

– Amazing good job!

Ngan laughed, feeling pleased with herself. That evening’s dinner was unusually cozy. They sat together and ate, chatting more than usual. Nothing too special, just trivial stories, sometimes mixed with laughter. But Ngan realized that the space around her had changed. Not because of the house, not because of Tien, but because of herself – if she changed just a little, the world would automatically become different.

***

5am. The alarm clock rang loudly, interrupting her sleep. Ngan reached out to turn it off, instinctively pulling the blanket over her head. But then, she remembered the promise she made to herself: to start a journey of self-care. She took a deep breath and sat up.

After drinking a glass of warm water mixed with honey and apple cider vinegar, she put on her sneakers and stepped out of the house. The cool breeze of the morning caressed her skin, carrying with it a damp mist. Her first steps were a little sluggish, but gradually, her rhythm became steady and steady. The space was so quiet that she could hear her own breathing mixed with the rustling of the leaves.

Before they could go far, a light rain suddenly began to fall. Ngan stopped, looking up at the gray sky. A thought flashed through her mind: Should she go back? But then, she remembered the look in her mirror last night. If she went back, wouldn’t everything be the same again? She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, reached out to pick a banana leaf from the roadside to cover her head, and continued walking. No journey is easy. But the important thing is that she had started.

After preparing breakfast for the whole family, Ngan asked her husband to take the children to school, and she started getting ready to go to the office. What she had previously only done perfunctorily, today she slowly brushed her hair, applied a little lipstick, and chose a new black dress that hugged her figure. It was just a small change, but it made her feel both strange and familiar - as if she had just found herself after a long sleep. The road to the office was more crowded than usual. Ngan decided to turn into a small alley to avoid traffic jams. But right when she turned the corner:

Ah ah! Boom!

Because she was avoiding a pedestrian, Ngan was unable to react in time, and both she and her bike fell flat on the road. It was excruciatingly painful. She struggled to get up, her mind still not fully awake when a voice rang out, both familiar and strange:

- Echo?

She stopped. Blinked. It was Truong. The man she thought would be with her forever.

He hurriedly helped her up, his eyes filled with worry. “Are you okay?” The close contact made her a little confused. She never expected to meet her first love again in such an ironic situation.

Ngan only had a few scratches, the car was fine, but the new dress was no longer intact as before. The slit was suddenly higher than usual, making her try to pull the hem of the dress more and more useless. She quickly ran to the trunk to get her sun protection jacket, but then remembered that she had left in a hurry this morning and had forgotten. Looking at the clock, she frowned. Truong saw everything.

- Do you have a uniform at work? - Truong asked.

– Yes… I do. – Ngan smiled, suddenly feeling relieved. But she couldn’t think of it.

- Then I'll take you. You can park your bike here. Otherwise, we'll be late.

Ngan nodded at his enthusiasm. The car passed through familiar streets. She looked out the window, feeling strangely calm. Truong was the first to speak.

How are you these days?

His voice was low, without any wavering.

Ngan still watched the blurred streaks on the car window and slowly replied:

– Busy, but still okay.

Truong nodded slightly, a smile flashed across the corner of his lips.

- I see.

She tilted her head slightly, looking at him.

- And you?

He shrugged, eyes still looking straight ahead.

– Work, life, everything is still going on monotonously. Nothing special.

Ngan nodded, turning back to the scene outside. She had thought that if she met Truong again, there would be a little heartache, a little excitement, or at least something that would make her heart beat faster. But no, she only saw an emptiness like a passing wind.

Suddenly, Truong stopped the car. Ngan was startled, reflexively looking up. The car stopped right in front of a clothing store. She looked at him, her eyes a little suspicious. Truong remained calm, unbuckled his seat belt, opened the door and got out. Ngan was confused. A light flashed in her mind. He was going to… buy her a new dress? Ngan was stunned. She didn’t want to admit it, but a small corner of her heart had been waiting for this. Could it be that Truong still cared about her a little?

But then, Truong did not enter the store. He turned right, towards a street vendor. And to Ngan’s surprise, he bought a portion of sticky rice cake. Her eyes widened. Truong calmly took the bag of cakes, smiling lightly as he returned to the car.

- I like this cake the most. I was going to buy it this morning, but I didn't expect to meet a driver like you.

At that moment, something in Ngan's heart suddenly broke. Not pain, not regret, but realization. She smiled faintly. Why did she hope for that? Why did she think for a moment that Truong would buy her a dress? Everything had ended long ago. What she had just expected was unreasonable. She leaned back in her chair, closed her eyes. And at that moment, she knew for sure: She had truly let go.

The car stopped in front of the office gate. Ngan opened the car door and got out. But before closing the door, she heard Truong's voice from behind.

- Echo.

She stopped and turned her head.

His eyes were a little reluctant.

– Are you still using the old number?

Ngan took a deep breath. She did not answer.

Just smile.

- Thank you.

She closed the car door. There was nothing to hold on to, nothing to linger on, her first love was truly over, and she had completely moved on.

In the afternoon, when Ngan returned home, before she could tell him what happened this morning, Tien was already waiting at the door, his hand hiding some kind of bag behind his back. Ngan found it strange and looked around curiously. As if he didn’t need to wait any longer, he handed it to her, a little hesitantly.

– For you…. on our 5th wedding anniversary.

Ngan's eyes widened in surprise, her hand holding the lovely gift box with the romantic pink wrapping paper. She excitedly opened it. Inside was a new, elegant dress, the color of which was the right style and brand she liked, and even more surprising was that it was her current size. Ngan was so moved that she was speechless. She put her arm around her husband's shoulder and whispered:

– Thank you. And… I'm sorry. I forgot…

Tien kissed his wife gently on the cheek and comforted her:

– It's okay, you go take a shower, then let's go eat something delicious.

Ngan looked at her husband with sparkling, moist eyes, smiling happily. She nodded continuously like a good child and ran into the house...

Short stories by Tra Dong

Source: https://baobacgiang.vn/chiec-vay-moi-postid420768.bbg