Chapter 1

Avery cursed inwardly as she trudged through the rain. She narrowly avoided being splashed by an oncoming car as she pulled on her hoodie strings, feeling her hair stick to her face.

She had carpooled with Carson this morning instead of going on her own and now that he had football practice, she was left to walk home. Luckily, her home wasn't too far away, but it was raining cats and dogs and her distaste for dirty water prevented her from just running to her house.

The air was cold and the wind against her wet clothes made her shiver. Not that far left to go. If she squinted, she was able to decipher the outline of her average home.

"I swear if I end up getting a cold," she sighed to herself, "I'll rip Carson to shreds."

Avery's immune system wasn't the greatest and she knew this. She probably spent about 50-60% of her eighteen years being sick. One would wonder why she didn't at least have an umbrella. She had looked for it, only to realize it was in her car.

The car she didn't take.

Because Carson offered to take her.

Okay, maybe Avery wasn't the best at planning things out and being organised. She could be a bit scatter-brained at times and easily flustered as a result. But she was just human.

A couple of minutes had passed and Avery had finally reached her driveway. It was then that the rain had decided to ease to a slight drizzle. She rolled her eyes as she removed the hood and fixed her hair. Couldn't the weather have better timing?

Avery liked rainy weather, but not when she was caught in it. She preferred it when she could curl up in her reading nook and stare out the window, accompanied by a cup of tea and a great book.

She used her keys to unlock the door, opened it and walked inside. Greeted by the scent of freshly baked cookies, she took a deep breath and allowed the smell to calm her annoyance at the previous weather.

"Maman, papa! Je suis ici !" she announced her presence at the doorway, removing her sneakers and placing them on the mat. "I smell cookies!" {Mom, dad! I'm home!}

"They're for after dinner," her mother stuck her head out from the kitchen. "Oh my goodness! Avery Toussaint, you are drenched!"

Her mother rushed over to her, a concerned look etched on her face. Her apron was spotted with flour as she attempted to help Avery remove her hoodie. "You know you'll get sick! Go run upstairs and take a warm bath. I'll tell your papa to pick up some medicine on his way home."

"Alright, alright," Avery muttered as she was being shooed by her doting maman.

Mrs Toussaint watched her daughter hurry up the stairs, curls bouncing wildly. She put a hand to her head and sighed.

"What am I going to do with her?" she asked herself.

Around the table, the small family ate their dinner in comfortable silence. Avery sniffled, drawing her parents' attention to her.

"Tu as oublié ton parapluie?" her father tilted his head to the side. {You forgot your umbrella?}

Avery pulled at the itchy, thick scarf her mother wrapped her in. "Oui. I left it in the car and Carson brought me to school this morning." {Yes}

According to Avery, her family was the only interesting thing about her, despite its size. They had moved from France when she was a toddler because Southern France wasn't the most inviting place for interracial couples like her parents. Mr and Mrs Toussaint were used to the comments, treatment and looks that came with being together but decided they didn't want their young daughter to grow up in such an environment.

Mr Toussaint squinted, "He didn't return you home, that boy?" It had been fifteen years but his accent was still as strong as ever.

Avery shook her head, "No, he had football practice. You know how committed he is, I didn't want to wait."

"It's like you could sense the cookies, huh?" her mother chuckled. Avery and her father laughed along, knowing her love for chocolate chip. Her eyes shone with sympathy afterwards, "Well, unfortunately, you won't be getting any tonight. You can't have dairy when you're sick."

Avery's eyes widened, feeling betrayed by her own mother who claimed to love her.

"Papa dites quelquechose," she pleaded with her father to change her mother's mind. She was aware of her father's soft spot for her and pulled her 'puppy' face. {Dad, say something}

He stared at her and tried to resist.

They stared at each other. Her pleading, and he fighting.

He sighed in defeat and looked at his wife, "Mon ange, just one? You know her love for them." {My angel}

"Philippe, you know dairy leads to mucus and-"

He pulled his 'puppy' face at her. Looking at both her daughter and her husband pouting at her, she could see the obvious similarities between them. She rolled her eyes, "Just one. The smallest one from the batch. Do you hear me, Avery Toussaint?"

Avery grinned in victory.