Her mind flashed back to one night when she was maybe six years old. Letitia had taken her to the fair. Not because she intended for Marina to enjoy the rides and food and games but because there was a band playing that Letitia liked and she wanted to hit on the guitar player.

Letitia dragged her past the snow cones and funnel cake and all the cool gaming stations and the rides and headed straight for the tent where the band was playing. There was a single seat left close to the front and Letitia took it and told Marina to sit on the ground next to her.

Marina asked if they could play a game or ride the Ferris wheel when the concert was over but Letitia frowned and told her that they hadn’t come for Marina and if she’d been able to find a sitter, then Letitia wouldn’t have brought her at all. Marina slumped on the ground, holding her hands over her ears when the concert started. It was loud and she didn’t like the music. Despite taking the chair, Letitia stood the entire time, waving her hands and trying to catch the attention of the guy on stage. Finally, Marina got so bored, she wandered off.

She walked down the midway, gawking at all of the flash and glitter. The smells were overwhelming—both good and bad. And the rides whirled past with people screaming with excitement. She stopped in front of a booth that was selling cheap toys. A bored-looking man with tons of tattoos and very little hair stood behind the booth, but he barely gave her a glance.

She gazed at the items on the shelves and a magic princess set caught her eye. It had a tiara with sparkly multicolor stones all around it, a ring with a big plastic stone, and a magic wand covered with silver glitter. It was the prettiest thing Marina had ever seen. She stood there gazing at it, thinking about how it would feel to wear that tiara and to be not just a princess but one who could do magic.

Magic would fix everything.

“You got money, kid?” the man behind the booth asked. “Because if not, move along. You’re blocking my display.”

Marina’s heart dropped. Maybe if she could just stand there a bit longer, her mother would come looking for her and would buy it. But even as the thought rolled through her head, she knew it wasn’t true. Her mother wouldn’t even notice she was missing unless the band stopped playing and she wanted to leave.

“Which one do you like?” A lady’s voice sounded above her.

She looked up and saw an old lady with silver hair that seemed to shine. She was wearing a purple pantsuit and bright pink lipstick. And she was smiling. She had a nice smile.

“The magic princess set,” Marina said.

“That’s a good choice,” the lady said and handed the disgruntled man some money.

He shoved the bills in his pocket and the lady took the princess set off the shelf and handed it to Marina.