Jasmine stood in front of her mirror, carefully adjusting the final touches of her makeup. The dim light cast a warm glow over her reflection, highlighting the faint remnants of the baby fat that clung to her cheeks, softening her features. She sighed, a mixture of pride and frustration bubbling up within her.
At twenty-three, she had finally learned how to accentuate her beauty, the years of trial and error with makeup finally paying off. She felt more like a woman now than she ever had before, yet there was something unsettling about it.
"Am I truly beautiful?" she whispered to herself, her thoughts drifting to an old memory that had never quite let go of her heart. Those piercing green eyes, full of a warmth and mischief that seemed to see through her, flashed in her mind. He had told her she was beautiful back then, even when she hadn't believed it. What would he think of her now?
