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aisle: a walkway between seats, shelves or other obstacles in an interior space

bun: hair gathered into a round coil

clutched (to clutch): to grip or hold tightly

dandelion: a yellow, weedy flower

dissolved (to dissolve): to separate into parts; to disintegrate

fiancée: a person to whom one is engaged to be married (word borrowed from French)

florist: a retailer or grower of flowers

flung (to fling): to throw something quickly

gnawed (to gnaw): having been chewed (usually food or an object)

hemmed (to hem): the folding back and stitching of a garment in order to shorten it or finish the edges

jitters: a feeling of extreme nervousness

obscuring (to obscure): to make unclear or less visible

quaint: attractively old-fashioned or unusual

rundown: fallen into disrepair

scruff: longish stubble on a man’s unshaved face

sifted (to sift): to separate, sort or examine

smacked (to smack): to hit sharply with the palm of the hand

smudge: a smear or stain

squinted (to squint): to look with the eyes partly closed

stationery: decorative writing paper

tuxedo: a man’s formal evening suit

unwavering: firm, marked by determination or resolution

yanked (to yank): to pull abruptly