Chapter 21

• Mia
• Back in the days before I turned twelve, my life was beautiful. We weren’t well-off. In fact, my parents always worried about money, about how we were going to pay off that next bill, how we’d have enough to put food on the table. But it was a worry we shared, a combined effort to make ends meet, and we were happy.
• My parents had been childhood sweethearts and were married straight after they’d graduated college. They had loved each other dearly, and they had cherished me and my brother Andy with all their hearts.