Grief was as new to Lacey as having seasons. Autumn approached faster than she anticipated it would. She wasn’t prepared for change of any kind. The passing of her older sister, Maisie, had rocked her to the core. Maisie’s death was not the plan. The two women planned to grow old together. They would conquer ...

Lacey was as excited as a child on Christmas morning. New York City was a fluffy winter scene. The first snowfall of the season in Manhattan brought the outside world to a dead stop. The streets were lined with kids playing and adults shoveling sidewalks. Quiet fell on the normal bustle of the Big Apple. ...

The countdown to Christmas was on, and nothing about Lacey felt festive. New York City shined bright in colorful lights and decor. After eight hours at the bar, it was the last sight she wanted to see. Each store she passed on the walk home was bustling with tourists and locals alike. The excitement for ...

A routine could be a blessing but also a curse. Lacey found herself at the height of a constant work rotation. She taught ballroom dance in the morning and worked as a bartender at night. Her world appeared so structured and small. Despite all the rigidness in her schedule, she made time for her evening ...

Six weeks had passed since Lacey hung up on Brooke after finding out she kissed Reuben. It resembled a lifetime, given how inseparable they were before this happened. Lacey felt lost without her safe person by her side. The two had spent every moment together, and one fight had demolished their pair. It was her ...

The clamor of her ringing cell phone earned a groan from the hungover blonde. With a swipe of a hand, the device sailed to the floor to disarm the blaring ringtone. Shifting away from the noise, she peered out the window, trying to tell the time. Her estimated guess, was midday by the bright sun ...

How did Lacey secure employment with such ease? The interaction with the bar manager left her stunned. Her new boss, Nick, appeared unfazed by her quick hire and was more relieved about having an extra pair of hands. He might have been kidding around. It seemed unbelievable. Although Lacey harbored suspicions, she would see this ...

NYC summer felt alien to Lacey; it was like a different world. Heat radiated from the pavement, a thick air hung heavy, and people bustled through it. When she walked the city, she wasn’t used to seeing the type of crowd sizes she saw. Every inch of sidewalk in view seemed maxed out with patrons ...

At the end of the night, the space grew silent. The booming bass ceased, and loud conversations disappeared. Only sounds heard were Nick and the runners counting the register. This part of the night had become Lacey’s favorite part of the evening: a sensory reset and calm she needed to clean up and go home. ...

“Dress nice, but not black tie,” Lacey reminded herself as she stood in front of the mirror. Syler’s words replayed in her head for what seemed like hours. This was the third and final outfit combination. At last, it felt right. She styled her hair in loose curls, slipped into a green flowy blouse, and ...