A prickly mass had formed in the pit of Arabella's stomach and much to her dismay, it wasn't a dormant one.
Indeed, it tossed around, rubbing its thorns against her inner walls every time the question; "What if I make a fool out of myself?" Came to mind. The thing grew larger and bolder the nearer the hour of their meeting drew.
The young woman lay still on her back, watching the shadows on the canopy above become fainter as the eastern horizon prepared to welcome the next morning sun.
Her eyes then drifted towards the wardrobe facing the bed. Its sight did not help shrink the hollow living amongst her guts since it contained nothing but dresses. Nothing that would make horseback rising any easier or more comfortable.
When the first rays cracked through to their side of the world, Arabella finally quit her futile attempts at returning to sleep, pushed herself up then picked her mother's necklace before heading to the bathroom.
