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Chapter One

Eifa

Some may call ree I consider , hair products, and shoes are a few of the tools I use to add loveliness to a gri world With these tips and tools, I can control how others perceive ht of hand, cover up, and sass I like it that way

The real me is a persona I only let a feitness I learned the hard way, not everyone who smiles in your face is your friend Nor do they automatically wish for your success The brutal Julius-Caesar-like slaying of h school birthed the wolimpse daily in the mirror That phenom in the reflection is daue, shrewd business sense, and icy demeanor I subscribe to the school that believes one should kill them with kindness and never allow others to see you sweat

Being on point twenty-four-seven is akin to wearing a forht their attributes, I boost their confidence, and issue a weapon no one can take away The sad truth is, for wo your best foot forward is rees, and common sense It shouldn’t be But could, should, and would aren’t the sae forward

So, while others assume my career as a ed position, it’s never been the way I see it I unwrap the red, gold, and yellow tribal print scarf from aroundIt all started sixa fewissue I know hair I go to great lengths to care for my natural locks

I understand health starts from the inside out So I uppeddown a and pilates When the probleist That’s when I discovered I had an autoimmune disease called alopecia My white blood cells are attacking my hair follicles Why? No one can say

There’s no rhyenetic link in the fa to recent research Alopecia comes in many different forms Some affect the entire body, others the hair on the head or the beard area There are so or excess tension on the hair follicle which can be recovered from

It’s silly, to be so attached toat reased, and my hair braided into intricate patterns

I’ve babied, trimmed, deep conditioned, dyed, and manipulated my curls within an inch of their life It’s a statement, a part of me people meet before I open my mouth What will I do without it? Hoill I ever feel feminine?

I turn to the left and the right I’m a hot mess My head is a cornucopia of patch worked bald spots When I run h what’s left of ers and co, and control it So far, it’s been running me, and that stops now It’s ti

Alopecia is nothing to be ashamed of, and in my case it’s permanent I memorize my reflection; it’s the last time I’ll see myself with a full head of hair I have to accept thatfast

After rewrapping my hair, I step away from my vanity My best friend’s husband, Houston, is meticulous about the hair on the top of his head and his face If anyone can reco on his friends to be open-minded With his unconventional career choice and sense of style, he’s acquired interesting friends over the years If I walk into the shop solo and feel judged or, studied like a lab rat, I may just chicken out

By the tiainston rees outside Fear is a vindictive bitch, and I’rip I stumble over s I’ with

I’ve been thrust back intoworse than being aard, hesitant, and struggling to figure out who you are Inside the vehicle, I crank the AC and give nificantthe condition for half a year now It’s past ti this condition has ruled me

I had a lunch date with the Mahoneys planned weeks ago It’s the perfect opportunity to co of my best friend, Liv, as an official part of the clan, but oddly right They’ve enjoyed six months of wedded bliss, and I couldn’t be happier What Tony and Rain did to the She did more than leave her fiancé at the altar and steal her maid of honor’s man—she abandoned her triplets, and that’s despicable

I couldn’t believe the heifer had the nerve to show up this year and try to get them back I don’t want kids, and that act ot me in the feels The triplets are adorable, well-behaved, sweet-te abandoned left its mark on them, but Houston worked hard to ensure it didn’t define them It’s one of the many qualities I appreciate about hiet him, but damn did she trade up

I feel the chains of secrecy, sha with every mile I drive I’ve backed , or I’ tofeels off One thing I’ve learned in thirty plus years it this: you have to love all of you The good, the bad, and the in-between combine to make up all the parts of me I can do no less than embrace, nurture, and learn to appreciate this curveball