I was prepared for the life in the big city, but nothing can prepare a girl for anything like real life itself. In fantasy books, the warrior princess knows how much food she will take with her. What sort of monsters she will slay. Should she trust the witch or burn her? It seemed every moment of the journey she had to make a life-and-death decision, but at least, her life sounded more exciting than my current one.

On Friday, I went down to the deli to see if I could borrow some eggs from Celie for my first business launch.

"'Neither a borrower nor a lender be', Miss. Kononovich....