Ariel woke up the next morning with a scowl on my face, annoyed by the sleepless night. She was practically turning and tossing on the bed until it was dawn.

She made sure to avoid all of the mirrors or anything that could show her reflection, as she didn’t need to know how horrible she looked.

No doubt, there were huge eye bags in her eyes and horrible dark circles, but she refused to care; instead, she splashed water in her eyes and made for downstairs.

Her heart lifted as she perceived the scent of pine cones and oranges, and she quickened her pace, hoping she would just get a...