EVENING OF NEW YEAR’S EVE
MIRABEL’S POV.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror as Mom pinned my hair in place. Don’t get me wrong, she was trying her best, but she wasn’t exactly Ash. Ash was my hype man, my glam squad, and my unofficial therapist, all rolled into one. Whenever I had a special event, he’d swoop in with his magic hands and a thousand compliments that could make me feel like I owned the world. But now? Mom was stepping in, bless her heart, and while she was doing her best, it wasn’t giving “runway-ready.”
“It’s not so bad. I’d say I did a pretty good job,” she said, smiling at me through the mirror.
“Thanks,” I replied, tucking a strand of hair behind my ear. The thanks sounded genuine enough, but my tone? Flat as a pancake. I sighed, the weight of my thoughts dragging
