Hi ,

I don't know if you remember my newsletter about my covid hair? It has taken me over 2 years to grow out the damage of trying to dye my hair to match my gray roots.

The only great thing of having my hair in that blonde stage, was my natural curls were finally back. I had lost my curliness for years, my hair had just gotted straighter and thinner.

Almost three weeks ago, I decided to give the curly girl method a try, because I wanted to believe my hair still held some curls.

I was BLOWN away by the results.

Sure, it's still rather frizzy, but look at those curls.

My kids have always told my to stop blowdrying and straightening my hair. So I decided to give in. For the last, alsmost three weeks, I haven't styled, straightened or blowdried my hair. Just the curly girl method, and defussing my hair.

This is what it looks like almost three weeks in.

Curls are looking slightly more defined. I'm reading it will get more curly and defined, and the natural spring will continue to return to my hair. I will keep you posted.

Who out there has curly hair? What are some of your great styling products or tricks? Hit me with a reply, and share all your wisdom, please. I'm slowly trying to learn.😊

As I promised, here's another chapter of The Songs of You and Me. If you missed a previous chapter, go back to your inbox and search in the promotions tab or junk folder...

If you're new to my newsletter, here's a little recap. Every week, I've been sending out one chapter of my book The Songs of You and Me. If you would like to read it from the beginning, it's available on Amazon and free in kindle unlimited.

Also, keep scrolling, because I have a link to the new MK Harkins book at the end of my newsletter. I have been a fan of her books for almost a decade, when I started reading and reviewing. I reviewed her very first book and have read all her books since then. My very first blogpost ever was for Breaking Braydon. Her books are clean, with maybe a few mild swear words. So be aware if you don't like that.

Her newest book Ashes is a fun Cinderella retelling with a famous Rock Star added to the mix. I'm still reading, and really loving it. It releases today, and is only 99 cents. Be sure to pick it up, if that's your cup of tea.

Happy Reading!

Twelve Years Earlier

JANE

My parents were taking me up to New York City this weekend to get me settled into my dorm. Ever since my letter of acceptance to Fordham had arrived, we’d all been on cloud nine. My dad especially was proud of his baby girl and kept mentioning to anyone who would listen how I got accepted to their school on a full-ride scholarship in the teaching program.

I was thrilled at the prospect of moving away from home and starting something new. Sitting in the car, leaving Bellebrook behind me, made the reality sink in even further. The nervous excitement from before threatened to turn into dread.

Saying good-bye to Sarah was hard, but she was off to NYU and was convinced we’d see each other all the time. With travel times of about an hour between each campus, I wasn’t so sure, but it was a comforting thought.

“You packed your extra towels I laid out last night?” Mom asked for the third time since hitting the highway. She did that when she was anxious.

“I did,” I replied, biting back a sarcastic retort. Mom didn’t need my attitude today.

“You ready for this?” Dad looked at me through the rearview mirror, the lines on his forehead more pronounced. His mouth formed a tight line, pulling down at the corners.

“As ready as I’ll ever be.” The mixed emotions bled through my answer, causing Dad’s eyes to meet mine again.

“You know we’re only a phone call away, right? We can be there in an hour,” Mom pointed out as we reached campus. We’d had this conversation before, but she felt she needed to stress it again.

“I think I remember how to dial your number.” I couldn’t help ribbing her a little.

“All right, Ava.” Dad took her hand, unlocking the grip she had on her other one. “I think we’ve gone over all the important stuff. She isn’t a baby anymore.” He patted her hand and sent me a wink. He was dealing with the upcoming separation better than Mom, it seemed.

“No, I guess she isn’t.” Mom turned to me and gave me a small smile.

“Let’s get her settled, shall we?” Dad waited for Mom to give him the okay before opening the door and getting hers.

We were finally here.

***

“I love the pictures.” Beth, my roommate, stared at the collection I’d stuck to the wall in a collage shaped like a heart. I’d hung up a picture of my parents, pictures with one of them with me, several with Sarah, some serious, but mostly goofy, ridiculous ones. I‘d added a few of my friends from school, the Hudson River lookout I loved—for obvious reasons—and then there was a picture Sarah snapped of Jackson and me. It was at one of the town get-togethers the summer before he left to college. Jackson had his arm slung around me. Ever since I’d had that one developed, it took up permanent residence in my room. When I left, it had to come.

“Cute. This your sister?” Beth was staring at a picture of Sarah sitting piggyback on me, laughing her pants off.

“No, my best friend.” I averted my gaze, trying to avoid the pang of pain I felt thinking of her absence.

“Oh.” Beth’s voice took on a fun, teasing tone. Her eyes were fixed on the picture of Jackson, and I could see the hungriness as she took in his hot sexiness. “That most definitely isn’t your brother.” She grinned at me.

I chuckled, wondering how she knew.

“Yeah, the look on your face in the picture.” Her eyes snapped back to the wall. “That isn’t the look anyone has on their face when their brother has his arm around them.”

My cheeks warmed at her observation.

She sat on my bed, crossing her legs and facing the wall with the pictures. “Boyfriend?” She waited for me to explain.

“Hardly,” I blurted. How to explain the weird relationship I had with Jackson, if you could even call it that?

“Have you looked at the picture?” She laughed. Obviously my discomfort amused her. “Well, have you?”

“Sure.” I wasn’t going to admit that I’d spent a great deal of the summer doing just that. It bordered on being stalkerish.

“He is really hot.” She inspected the picture again, and my hackles came up.

“I know,” I snapped, feeling territorial. Who was I kidding, though? Jackson wasn’t mine.

“Hey, I’m just saying.” She held up her hands in surrender. “I don’t mean anything. I can’t help it I’ve a keen eye for the finer things in life.” She offered another smile, and I felt my defenses melt.

“He sure is one of the finer things in life,” I said, warming up to her frankness.

“There’s a party tonight.” She changed the subject, hopping off my bed. “I’m sure there will be some fine specimens there. I spotted a few when I was getting settled in this morning.”

Beth was all unpacked by the time we arrived. I’m sure she’d had ample time to make the rounds.

“Sure, why not? Let me finish up here.” A party sounded like the right thing to take my mind off the somber thoughts swirling in my head.

“I wasn’t kidding when I asked you about that picture,” she added. “Anyone looking at it can see you both are crazy about each other. It’s written all over your goofy faces.” With that, she collected her stuff and headed to the shower.

I stopped my unpacking and stared at the picture again. I’d memorized every detail of it. I’d always gone weak staring at Jackson’s hotness, but now I focused on reading his eyes. Did she have a point? Was that smile broader because he really was into me?

Whatever she saw there, it was a long time ago. Whatever chance might have been there, it was long gone. Time to leave the questions up there with the picture, a sweet memory, but nothing more.