Excerpt 1:
Later that night, Lynette lay in her parent’s old bed, huddled under the massive pile of blankets. Suddenly spooked by the shadows in the room and the anticipation of sleep, she pulled the blankets to her eyes and closed them tight.

Her heart raced when her body jerked at the sound of a tree branch breaking outside. It must be an animal or the wind. Lynette flipped on the bedside lamp and scanned the room. The closet doors remained shut, the hallway light spread from under the door, and a pile of dirty clothes sat in the far corner. Nothing looked amiss.

She closed her eyes again, and thoughts of ghosts, spirits, and mediums infiltrated her mind. Freaking herself out, she turned on the tv at a low volume and focused on the sound of the eleven o’clock news.

When her eyes became heavy, she closed them for a moment, praying that morning would arrive fast. When she opened her eyes, her body bolted upright and her fingers gripped the sheets. Tiny beads of sweat formed along the nape of her neck. She wiped her neck, closed her eyes, and rubbed her temples.

It was only a dream. The thought didn’t calm her mind, but solidified her hunch that Mom and Dad were expecting when they married, but in this dream, Mom was pregnant. Like, really pregnant and wearing that awful top from the suitcase. Dad stood at a grill, cooking outside, and Mom sat in a chair knitting. Knitting…was that Loretta? But Dad called the baby Lorraine. Lorraine, Lorraine…there was no Lorraine. And Mom looked sad, always sad. Lynette felt her unhappiness, which solidified her assumption that Mom didn’t want to get married. Whatever happened to Lorraine? Worst-case scenarios popped through Lynette’s mind. And why was she kept a secret all these years?

Unable to handle her thoughts any longer, she hopped out of bed and ran to her old bedroom. “Ruby.” She barged open and through the door, finding her daughter fast asleep. Gripping and shaking her shoulder, she said, “Ruby, wake up. I need to talk to you.”

Excerpt 2:
In a trance, and ready to crumble into a puddle, Lynette sat down with her arms tightly crossed against her chest. She examined her daughter before responding. Radiant skin, precise eyebrows, and a sun-kissed face made her appear healthy and well. “Well, not great.” Lynette wanted to add more, but she couldn’t reveal her agonizing mental state that had nearly destroyed her over the past three years.

“Do you want to talk? It’s been a while.”

Lynette swallowed, unsure how much to say. “Well, it’s been about three years.”

“I’m sorry about that.” Ruby looked down and her shoulders slumped forward. Lynette’s heart reached out to her, but her brain reminded her she needed to be strong.

“I saw your profile on Instagram, so I knew you were still alive.”

Ruby leaned forward, her blue eyes inviting Lynette to say more. “I didn’t know you were on social media,” she said.

“I’m not,” Lynette scowled. “Martha found you and we both sent you messages.”

Ruby’s head bobbed up and down like a buoy trying to stay afloat in the ocean. “Sorry. I get a lot of spam with my modeling. Companies preying on me, creepy men, and bots. If I don’t recognize the name, I don’t even open them.”

“Of course. You can’t imagine how surprised I was when Martha pulled up your face and I realized you were actually living the life you told me you’d live.” Lynette held Ruby’s gaze, daring her to either confirm or deny her success.

Ruby’s eyes dropped. “Yeah, it’s been quite a wild ride. I’m the spokesperson for Jolie Belle. Have you heard of them? In all my Instagram posts, I’m wearing their products. And I wear something every day. Like this.” She held out her wrist and two gold bangles clanged.

“Pretty.”

“Jolie Belle is a new designer based in L.A.. It’s for hip, young women, and they selected me from my modeling portfolio.”

Lynette heard her, but the words traveled over her shoulders and swirled above her head. “Great.” She hadn’t intended sarcasm, but the word had been out before she could stop it.

Ruby’s head pulled like she’d been hit by a slingshot.

“I’m sorry, it’s just that I didn’t expect to see you here. A phone call would have been nice.”

“I was happy in L.A., Mom. I didn’t want to complicate it by—”

Lynette’s eyes shot up. “What. Contacting me? Do you know how many days and nights I worried about you? Did you have enough money? Were you living on the streets? Did you have a job? Were you alive? You left, and I never heard from you again.”

Ruby’s shoulders hunched down, and she mumbled, “People knew. I thought they’d tell you.”

Glaring at her only daughter, Lynette fumbled for the words. “I don’t even want to talk about that right now. What about your parents, huh? What about me? Your father? Did you even know the divorce was finalized? Did you know your dad remarried? Do you even care?”

Ruby’s voice dropped to her chest. “I knew. Auntie Lori told me and Dad sent me an invite.”

Without thinking, Lynette’s anguish and frustration erupted. “I sacrificed over twenty years to give you a good life, and you trampled over me, throwing me out like a bag of trash. I haven’t heard from you in three years. I deserve more from you. I deserve respect.”

Ruby’s eyes widened and tears splashed against her bronzed cheeks.

“Stop. Right now. You have no right to cry,” Lynette scolded. “You left on your own free will.”