An ivory ballgown lies empty on the parquet, its full skirt folded into a loose pool of fabric. The pointed bodice and gathered waist keep the shape of an old formal dress even as its sleeves and hem fall flat. A single glove rests nearby, and a small sepia portrait leans against a gilt chair leg. In the portrait, a young woman wears a similarly elaborate gown, turning these abandoned objects into the beginning of a story.

The ballroom stretches away behind them, its herringbone floor scattered with confetti, leaves and a fine pale dust. Chairs have been pushed to the walls, and the flowers in tall urns have begun to wilt. Unlit chandeliers hang above the long windows. Outside, a violet evening settles over a misty park. One warm sconce glows near the far doorway, where a man stands only as a dark silhouette. The stillness after the party makes the missing wearer feel present through the fabric, the photograph and the space left around them.