From my earliest memories, my father’s stern face was a wall between me and the warmth I craved. I grew up in a house where silence was safer than laughter, and love felt like a privilege granted only to strangers. It wasn’t until high school that I learned the truth that shattered everything I thought I knew about my family—and myself.
On the night of my eighth grade winter dance, I ran away with Lucas, desperate for a moment of freedom. What started as a dreamy escape in the swirling snow unraveled into a tangled web of family secrets and painful choices. As I look back, I wonder if believing in happiness is enough when the world keeps testing your faith.
My name is Kaylee, and on what should have been the best night of my senior year, I was sent home from prom because of my floral dress. I was left sobbing in the school parking lot, questioning my worth and the fairness of the rules that governed my world. What happened next tested my friendships, my confidence, and my hope for a kinder future.
