Ellie looked over her god-little, the doll-sized girl practicing ballet moves on a food court table, she’d seen Dayton dance before, even gotten dragged to a few of her recitals. …
“Holy shit,” Angel gasped as her heart jumped out of her chest, she had heard noise, a tiny squeak, a slight one that barely registered. Looking down to see what…
Kathleen Hale is the emotional anchor of her family — gentle but not fragile, pragmatic yet deeply compassionate. She balances her husband’s strength and her daughters’ passion with warmth, reason,…
Ciara Hale is a 9-year-old bundle of imagination, empathy, and curiosity — the youngest of the Hale sisters and the family’s quiet heart. She has a mind full of stories,…
Jeffery Hale is a 48-year-old father of three and the quiet heart of the Hale family. Protective, loyal, and deeply family-oriented, Jeff is the kind of man who measures his…
The cafeteria buzzed with the usual chaos of teenagers free for lunch—trays clattering, laughter bouncing off the walls, clusters of students crammed together at tables. Some had unpacked meals from…