She hurt inside. She couldn’t eat, she could hardly sleep; her mother called off all of the suitors’ visits, knowing her daughter’s condition was more than just stubbornness and bad temper. Jocelyn woke up a few mornings later…

Mama had made her wear too many uncomfortable clothes, the laces too tight around her ribs and the skirts too heavy to lift with her legs. Mama had made her talk with so many unpleasant suitors of all different ages and sizes and all of them dull…

The long yellow grass scratched her ankles as she ran, but she went up the hill laughing and flinging her arms. The black laced boots and white frilly socks she was meant to wear everyday were kicked off at the bottom of the hill and forgotten about…