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

After breakfast, Aunt Flory ushered the girls outside to help clean out the flower beds. The rock gardens ringing the cottage were bursting with wild violets, creeping phlox, and thyme, still blanketed beneath a layer of fall leaves. Providing warmth and protection for the tender roots in the winter, the debris now blocked the spring sun. Ruby and Zoey worked quickly, scraping the leaves into a messy pile while Aunt Flory built a fire. A roaring bonfire was another Starling family tradition marking the beginning of spring.


While Aunt Flory carried logs from the stack at the side of the house, Celeste gathered twigs. She placed them carefully in the stone-ringed fire pit, arranging them in a perfect pyramid from smallest to largest.


Chapter 37