Zoey has no idea what it means to be normal. Everything she touches has a taste, and her father’s identity is a town secret. Her sisters have their own issues. While it's a struggle for Celeste to connect with the world, Ruby, who has a flair for the dramatic, doesn't worry about anything. Orphaned at birth, the fourteen-year-old triplets live with their aunt and mark seasons by the annual migration of captivating birds. Despite an almost idyllic childhood grounded in Aunt Flory's home-cooked food and family values, Zoey struggles with her identity in a community where the Starling family is the subject of gossip. But secrets run deep in the small town, and the triplets aren't the only ones with something to hide. Zoey soon discovers that the truth isn't obvious and different perspectives shape the world. It's always how you choose to look at things that matters most.

Bugs, Weeds, and Water is created by Evangeline Greene, an eGlobal Creative Publishing signed author.

Bugs, Weeds, and Water

A few days later, Zoey found Aunt Flory kneeling on the floor in the living room, sorting through boxes of old books. Verna, shrouded in a veil of smoke, sat on the couch, observing. A stepladder stood in the hallway beneath the trap door to the attic.


"Thank heavens you're here," Verna said, blowing two wispy trails out her nostrils. "Take these boxes into the attic for your aunt. She shouldn't be climbing ladders."


"Good Lord, Verna, it's only a few steps," Aunt Flory said. "I wouldn't have managed around here all these years if I was afraid of a little ladder. I need to find a place for these books," she explained to Zoey. "Celeste's shelves are overflowing. It looks like a library in her room."


Chapter 23