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

Back home at their little cottage on the lake, it only took minutes for the smell of coffee and bacon to fill the kitchen. Aunt Flory wedged herself into the rocker on the front porch to watch a flock of White-crowned Sparrows sorting through seed at the feeder. Zoey brought her a steaming mug of coffee and took the seat across from her. A single sunbeam squeezed through the trellis, its soft light transforming the mole under Aunt Flory's right collarbone into a translucent pearl. Zoey smiled at the memory of sitting in her lap as a child, absent-mindedly rolling the coffee-colored flesh between her tiny fingers, its doughy texture tasting vaguely of cinnamon.


Chapter 36