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Prologue

Jenna

Last year…

“I’ll see you soon, Mom!” I shout into my phone above the bustle of the crowd at the deli “I love you Happy New Year!”

I end the call then quickly slip my phone inside my jacket

Count on my mom to be ahead of everyone else It’s barely past three in the afternoon on the thirty-first of Decereet me a happy new year Twice This froust, starts planning for my next birthday the day after the one I just had, puts dinner on the stove before ten in thehair trinkets forday since before I was born

Gold ones Silver Pearl-studded ones and ones with sparkly rhinestones Flower pins Butterfly pins Hearts Tiny hats Ribbons of all sizes made from silk or chiffon There is even a pair of chopsticks with the ends carved into doves, tied together with a string of tiny hearts I thought they were adorable up until I was about eight or nine, the sas Also the salasses and ditched fairy tales for Agatha Christie

My elder sister, Sarah, eventually tried to steerher romance collection, but I ith science fiction instead Asiotup now In a few years, I plan to work for NASA and help send Americans further into space

For now, though, I have to buy cheese and cold cuts for the grandest ht snack of the year

“Hey, Jenna,” the guy behind the counter, Nash, who’s sporting a quirky pair of reindeer eyeglasses, greets et you today?”

I scrutinize his new accessory – hard not to when it’s covering half his face “Sure you don’t want to get rid of so first?”

“This?” He takes the glasses off “What? You wanna trade?”

I wave a hand in front of my face “No, thanks”

I like olden frame Oval lenses The ones I have on now are the sarade

“Anyway, I can’t” Nash puts theave them to me for Christmas and made me promise to wear them until the year is over”

My eyebrows arch “Even at home?”

“Even when I’ on the couch”

The corners of my mouth droop “Poor you But hey, at least the year is almost over”

“Yup So what can I get you before it ends?”