That was when she saw a white spot moving through the crowd. At first, her mind refused to make sense of it. The color caught her eye in the wrong way, standing out too clearly, too boldly, against the softer tones surrounding it.
Her stomach dropped. The sensation was sudden and physical, like missing a step on a staircase. She felt the world narrow to that single detail, the slow realization unfolding before she could stop it or explain it away.