BooksBarbecue
Back Unleashed
Chapters (56)
  1. Front Cover
  2. Title Page
  3. Copyright
  4. Contents
  5. Part One
  6. 1
  7. 2
  8. 3
  9. 4
  10. 5
  11. 6
  12. 7
  13. 8
  14. 9
  15. 10
  16. 11
  17. 12
  18. Part Two
  19. 13
  20. 14
  21. 15
  22. 16
  23. 17
  24. 18
  25. 19
  26. 20
  27. Part Three
  28. 21
  29. 22
  30. 23
  31. 24
  32. 25
  33. 26
  34. Part Four
  35. 27
  36. 28
  37. 29
  38. 30
  39. 31
  40. 32
  41. 33
  42. 34
  43. 35
  44. Part Five
  45. 36
  46. 37
  47. 38
  48. 39
  49. 40
  50. 41
  51. 42
  52. 43
  53. Epilogue
  54. Acknowledgments
  55. About the Author
  56. Back Cover

For once, I don’t want to be Monica Chan. I don’t want to follow in the footsteps of my father.

I just want to be me. On my own path.

But walking that path is going to have to wait until tomorrow.

Today, I just want to burrow deep down into my duvet and forget the whole world exists.

Especially to forget that tomorrow is Christmas Day.

I wake up in the early hours of the morning to a jangling at the front door. I leave my room to see Mom walking in. She’s wearing a little Santa hat, and Petal is playing Christmas tunes over her speaker. She’s humming gently to herself.

She looks like she’s about to head straight to her bedroom, but I cough as she passes me by.

Mom’s eyes widen in surprise, but then she smiles. “Merry Christmas, baby girl!” Mom says. “You’re here!”

I rush over and wrap my arms around her so tight, she expels her breath in a small “oof.” I bury my face into her fuzzy Christmas sweater. “I found Dad,” I whisper into the fabric.

There’s a jolt as she pushes me away, and the gesture fills me with hope. As if I’ve shocked her out of the update, reached some part of her that’s buried deep. But Petal comes and settles on her shoulder, alarmed at the sharp spike of her heart rate.

Just as quickly, that spark is gone. Her next words are said in a deadpan tone, so different from her happy Christmas greeting a few minutes ago. “That’s not possible, Lacey. Your father is gone.”

I search her eyes for any hint of recognition, but there’s no point. “Mom, I know it’s Christmas, but I left your present down in the basement. Do you mind if I go and get it?”

“Not at all, honey.” Her bright, chirpy tone is back. “And then Petal has given me a great recipe I can try, sent to me this morning by the Moncha chefs! You’re going to love it.”

I smile weakly. “Sounds good.”

She walks past me, shutting herself in her room. Jinx slinks out of my bedroom, curling himself around my feet.

>>To the basement?

I nod. I think about checking in on Zora, but I’m sure she wants to spend time with her family.

The locker is happily un-Christmassy. I pull the sleeves of my hoodie down over my hands, trying to keep myself warm in the chilly basement. I shouldn’t be down here. I should be upstairs, in my warm apartment, helping my mom make cookies and watching our favorite movies on television.