Three words, eight letters. That's all it takes to ruin a friendship. One built over the years, filled with adoration and appreciation. They both know eight letters could ruin it all. What if it wasn't to break them but make them better? strong? But then again, it all boils down to who's going to say it first. ❦❦❦ "Aren't you just going to forget about me again?" "Forget you? Princess, I never stopped thinking of you."

Norah Cook knows nothing about love, about romance, about affection. Nor does she understand it. But after a few teenager years without it all, she meets Mio Reed, the woman who unintentionally changes everything. The woman who is also her best friend's mother. All of her classmates and friends are experiencing teenage affection and relationships, all while Norah has always found she's had no interest. But in an unlikely turn, her first feelings end up being pointed towards a woman who's married and far older. But over time, something begins to change in that woman too and both their lives are changed forever.

A stranger to her own existence, Kayla moves to a small town with the hope of finding comfort in a fresh start. But as she steps inside the unfamiliar classroom on the first day, standing in front of the class is a mysteriously familiar face, one that rouses memories of a time she believed had gone by. With past baggage catching up in the most intrusive ways, she stumbles upon unexpected comfort of friendship, unconditional love of found family, and a beautiful yet complicated bond between two hesitant souls. "This book was like a warm hug, and I might believe in love again." "I would give everything, especially my soul, to have the opportunity to read this book for the first time again." ────── CW: Substance abuse, harsh language, sexual content, mention of self-harm and suicide. ────── Started in January 2018. Re-published in November 2022. First draft finished in April 2023. ────── Copyright 2018 © Renee Steinberg All rights reserved. This work may not be reproduced, copied, translated, or republished in any form without the author's permission, except for brief quotations or reviews with proper credit.