Prologue
Twenty-Eight Years Ago
“Pack your things,” my Mommy, Celestial Springs Jones told me as she threw clothing in bags for Summer and baby Autumn. Autumn cooed in the little sling Mommy held the baby in.
I could hear my little sister, Summer picking up the toys and putting them in a box in the living room.
So, it was safe for me to cry. For just a second.
A tear rolled down my cheek, and I knew this was it. It was all my fault. I made this happen. I just… It was because of me that we were leaving Mommy and Daddy’s commune.
“I’m sorry, Mommy.”
Celestial Springs Jones paused, turned, and knelt in front of me, baby Autumn squished between the two of us. She took my hands, her fingers hot and sweaty, and looked me in the eyes.
Even her eyes were shiny with tears. “This is not your fault, baby. Do not ever, ever, ever think this is your fault.”
“But you love it here,” I said, not sure I wanted to look at Mommy anymore.
She touched my chin and brought my eyes to hers. “And I’ll love it in the city too. There’s always a happy place to go, Winter. Don’t you ever forget that. Even when everything is horrible, remember that there is always a happy place.”
“But where Mommy?”
“Right in here,” she said, poking me in the chest, just above my heart.
When I looked down, Mommy flicked me in the nose, and I smiled.
“See, there’s my girl,” Celestial Springs said. “Now, this will be a new adventure. There will be some hard stuff to deal with, but we can do it. Our family will always stick together. Right?”
I nodded and stroked little baby Autumn’s head. “Right. We’ll stick together.”
“Right. Now, let’s finish packing, so we can begin this new adventure.”
“Right,” I said, and I continued putting my clothes in my bag, so we could leave the commune.
1
Modern Day - Friday
“Iam letting you go,” I said to Sasha, our new nail technician at Celestial Springs Salon.
“But… But, Winter, I didn’t do anything!” Sasha García said, slapping my desk as she protested.
The salon was the most affordable but still upscale salon in Barrum, Kansas.
I took great pride in that fact.
I worked really hard to make sure that Mother’s dream didn’t turn into a nightmare.
And I did not tolerate people trying to screw with my mother’s salon.
I raised my eyebrow at her. “Sasha, in the six months you’ve been here at Celestial Springs Salon, you’ve broken rules and been written up for them. Everything from not charging clients properly for their services to using company products for yourself and not paying for them.”
She shook her head, tears in her eyes. “I didn’t do that!” And she started muttering in Spanish.
While I didn’t fluidly speak Spanish, I was pretty sure I knew when I was being cursed and called names in the language. I had enough bi-lingual employees to learn some of the curse words. Or at the least, recognize when I was being cursed at.
I raised my eyebrow. “Sasha, you’re fired. Pack your stuff.”
