Golden Linings

"I need you to remember this baby. You don't need anyone's validation to be beautiful. You're beautiful not because of the makeup. You're beautiful not because you feel beautiful. You're beautiful because that's who you are. Inside and out. You're so beautiful, my precious. A selfless soul, a kind heart.... You're easily the prettiest face on earth."

"Mom, you just said that to Maya, like an hour ago."

"So what? It doesn't make it a lie. And you're so brave, my naive little girl...."

Falling in love with her soulmate? Check! Crying a little because of his stupidity because that's what happens in movies? Double check!
Her university days weren't going to be about her books, heck no! Kayla vowed. She was all ready for everything fun to happen to her.

What she didn't anticipate was how much it hurt to fall in love and the price it carried and how much derailed from a well planned life it was going to be. Or scheming friends and a well kept family secret.