I thought I'd put this up a long time ago, which is why I kept referring to it in Hilley Ascending (what can I say - I'm old - I drink - I forget things). It foreshadows who Hilley becomes. She is eight years old here, and traveling with her parents in Europe. The story itself is much shorter than usual. But you will meet a number of the characters who appear later in Hilley's life. I hope you enjoy this as much as I did writing it.
When she was young, Elaina would often share the outdoor shower with her dad after a day on the beach. It was all very innocent, but seeing her father's 'penis', as she later found out it was called, left a lasting impression on her. As she got older, she wanted very much to see it again, and not just to see it...
Her boyfriend joined the Navy and they weren't going to get married until she graduated. She was worried he might stray. So she sent him a video, trying to act sexy. The only person she could think of to take that video was her daddy.
He was a grad school loner, she was making ends meet by selling roses in Pablo's bar. After a bit of a rocky start, the two begin to see eye-to-eye on any number of things! Much sickly sweetness ensues, and some stuff that's NOT so sickly sweet.
Amanda is picking up the pieces of her life after an ill-considered marriage, moving across two states back to her girlhood home. Her brother Nick is trying to put his life back together as well, having put everything on hold to care for his dying mother for the last year. Together, they try to find the strength to continue on - and perhaps more.