The Costume Shop – Part 2: Opening Night

The seam split in the wings, ninety seconds before the curtain.

"Katharina!" hissed the dresser.

The soprano stood in the half-dark, resplendent in the silver gown, one bodice seam gaping open to the waist. Over the monitor came the sound of the orchestra tuning. The stage manager was whispering, urgent, in the headset.

"Needle," said Katharina, calm as ice.

Dani had it ready. She knelt, threaded the silver thread in a single try, and began stitching, fast and fine, her fingers nimble. Katharina held the fabric taut. Their faces were inches apart in the dim light. Neither spoke. The orchestra struck up the overture.

The last stitch went in at the opening bar.

"Go," said Katharina.

The soprano swept onto the stage. A hush fell across the opera house. The gown shimmered in the spotlight, flawless.

In the wings, Katharina and Dani let out their breath, and clung to each other, shaking with silent laughter.

The performance was a triumph. At the final curtain, the audience roared, and flowers rained down. The soprano, bowing, found their eyes in the wings and blew a kiss.

Afterwards, the workshop was empty and bright, lit by a single lamp. The abandoned gown hung on its mannequin, glittering softly. Katharina poured two glasses of Sekt and held one out.

"To the hems."

"To the seam."

They drank. The workshop was quiet. Beads glinted on the floor.

"Can I ask you something?" said Dani.

"Yes."

"May I kiss you?"

"Yes," said Katharina. "And if you say stop, you must hem the whole of the next production by hand."

"That's a kind of paradise."

Dani kissed her, soft and champagne-bright, a pin-pricked hand rising to Katharina's cheek. Katharina kissed her back, slow and sure, her tape measure sliding to the floor. The lamp glowed gold. The silver gown shimmered in the corner like a ghost.

When they parted, both of them were smiling.

"Green?" asked Katharina.

"Green," said Dani. "Very green."

Dani is now head of costumes' deputy. Her hems are no longer crooked. She keeps one crooked on purpose, in every gown, for luck.

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