Page 40 (1/1)

Chapter 1

The icy wind gusted across the back of her unprotected neck and the wintery night air frosted her cheeks as Susanna, known to her friends as Sunny, got out of her reliable old car

To her chagrin, she’d forgotten not only her gloves but also her scarf and hat Her short pixie cut was no protection against the biting January evening, so she quickly pressed the button on her key fob to lock the doors of her car Not that she really needed to—soed up blue sedan that had clearly seen better days As Sunny liked to tell her friends, the car ht not be a beauty, but she was seaworthy

Toeing at the slush of the parking lot with her scuffed-up co back in her war away

After all, it wasn’t like she was the one with the drug problem

How could going to a Narcotics Anony really help her?

With a groan, she turned around and faced the building, scanning the snow-crusted brick exterior for so on inside It looked like any other coton DC, hborhood where it was situated Mature trees draped in white Christhts surrounded the structure, and the ere all neatly shoveled Snow covered bushes flanked the wide path leading to the front doors, dotted here and there with concrete benches covered in fluffy white mounds

A far cry frohborhood with an emphasis on hood While her one-bedrooh to school that she didn’t have to add a two-hour commute to her day Most importantly, she could afford it Her apartment was located in a sketchy part of town, but it was safe Her building er was a badass former Marine who took security seriously Sunny appreciated that once she got inside the apartroceries and tuition

So, as she doing in this moneyed part of the nation’s capital? She certainly didn’t fit in with her hippy with a touch of ro None of the posh women around here wore outfits like her black lace poets’ shirt paired with a dark purple and wine tie-dyed skirt—the fabric of which currently flapped in the breeze, revealing her black woolen stockings

With her eyes tearing, she let theto death lass doors that led to the interior of the community center

Once she stepped inside, it was a different world She brushed at the edges of her watering eyes with her leather jacket, probably s her makeup nicely Not that she’d worn , she’d no doubt cry—so It made her feel weak and helpless Out of control of her body and life, like her mother

“Can I help you?” An older woht red hair appeared at her elbow in a cloud of floral perfume “You look a little lost, sweetie”

There was only kindness in her gaze, no judge for the Fa”

The woently took Sunny’s arm in her own “Follow me, little lamb I’ll show you myself”

Wincing internally, Sunny tried to keep up with the woman’s chatter as they walked deeper into the massive public space Shit, why does this lady have to be so nice? If she’d just given Sunny directions, sheInstead, she was being walked to the door like a reluctant kindergartener on her first day of school

Not the way she wanted to meet her sponsor for the first time

Teeks ago, she’d been having a particularly hard ti with her ain—and had thrown a fit when Sunny wouldn’t coh she’d known it was stupid, theher hts as she battled between knowing her mother was actually better off in jail than on the streets, and knowing that her mom was behind bars

When Sunny had been a kid, her life had been awesoh both her Mom and Dad worked, they’d each lavished her with love and attention They’d been teenage parents, but they neverbut wanted and loved Then her dad had a devastating stroke, which led to a long, slow death that prettyup the pieces at fifteen, both trying to get her mom to pull herself out of her depression and keep a roof over their heads Things got worse when Sunny’s mom injured her back, then quickly became addicted to pain pills