Chapter 1

At 16, Louisa was considered by many to be an extremely beautiful girl. She was moderately short, but not too short, at five feet and almost, but not quite, two inches. Her weight matched her delicate frame as she hovered at about one hundred pounds.

Louisa's long very fine hair was often sun-streaked, giving her light brown, almost auburn colored hair, a very exotic look. At night she would sit in front of her mirror, after her nightly bath, brushing it as it dried.

Tonight she smiled at herself in the mirror as she worked the knots from the end of her soft locks. She had her hair flowing over her left shoulder and was working on the last few tangles when there was a knock on her bedroom door. It was of course her mother. She told her to come in.

Carmina smiled at her daughter sitting, grooming herself. It was hard to keep a bright smile on her face knowing what the next day would bring, but she kept a bright expression on her face as she told Louisa she had some new clothes for her.

Louisa looked back at her mother through the mirror and smiled in return as her mother put the new clothes on her bed.

"I'd like you to wear these tomorrow," she told Louisa, "And I'd like you to come to work with me."

"OK Mom," Louisa replied as she continued to brush her hair.

Carmina put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and stood looking down at her. The sight was bittersweet.

Louisa had been wearing a white terrycloth robe after her bath, but had let it fall from her when she started to do her hair. The stool she was sitting on, turned fluffy white from the robe.

Her mother slid her hand down her daughter's silken back and leaning over, kissed her shoulder. Louisa smelled of lavender from the bath salts she often used. "My little flower," her mother thought.

Louisa smiled again at her mother. Then she lifted her head toward Carmina and they shared a brief kiss. "Night," her mother said and before the tear in her eye could form, turned and left her daughter sitting there.

Reaching the door, Carmina turned and took in the beauty of her daughter. Shadows played on Louisa's back and her light frame was accentuated by a broadness of her hips below her narrow waist. She sat there, smiling back at her mother through the mirror as the door closed.

Louisa smiled at the image in her mirror as it smiled back at her. Her oval face and strong chin showed her Mexican heritage as did the light tint to her skin, giving her a 'Golden' appearance.

Her nose was nicely shaped, with a little flare at the base, but fairly straight. Her lips were soft, thin about the edges, with a slight natural upturn at the ends, giving her face an everlasting smile.

She always thought her eyes were her best quality. Set just above her rounded cheekbones, they had a dark brown deepness to them. Eyes that were soft and intriguing, romantic looking most of the time and hard, piercing ones when necessary.