Eva glided through the streets at midnight. Her high heels hitting the pavement with a steady rhythm. The crystals on her dress swung musically around her body. She bit her ruby red lips as she saw the expression of the passersby.
A mom who was pacifying her baby and singing a disjointed lullaby looked at her from the terrace of her apartment. Their eyes met and Eva looked away quickly. The mother sighed and watched Eva dance away to the corner. She looked down at her child with half-closed eyes and hung her head. When was the last time she had worn heels?
Meanwhile Eva moved forward and stopped at an ice-cream truck. She licked the melting part and giggled. A man came up behind her and demanded a vanilla ice cream tub.
A voice from behind them bellowed "No, I want Strawberry."
The man rolled his eyes, set his face to a smile, and gave a thumbs up to a woman sitting on a nearby park bench. His wife was rubbing her hand over her baby bump as she stared at Eva. When am I ever going to wear a dress like that?
Eva took a step away from the truck, smiled at the woman on the bench and crossed the street.
She reached the entrance of a building and stood for a while looking at the outside world. She shuffled inside and began removing her earrings, bracelets, and fake eyelashes. She reached the laundry room and picked up a pile of clothes.
A woman was sitting atop one of the machines. There were spit-up stains on her t-shirt, her shoulders were drooped, and her eyes were fighting a battle to stay open. She looked at Eva and blinked.
"Wh-at?"
Eva was busy removing her make-up. She looked at the woman and said:
"Every day at this time, I put in my laundry, dress up and go out for a stroll. It is the only time I have to myself. it is a small part of me that i have kept of my own true self. We get lost in our roles as wives, mothers, breadwinners that we forget to have fun."
The woman parted her lips, opened, and closed her mouth and then stared down at her hands "Can I borrow that dress tomorrow?"