CHAPTER 1

Priscilla Slater

Come One, Come AlltoPiney Point High School'sFifteen-year ReunionJune 14, 2008, at 7:00 PMPiney Point High's Cafeteria.

Attire: Business CasualRSVP: Laura Moss 601-555-1515 orCeleste Boudreaux 601-555-4854

PS: The preparty will be at Pete and Laura's house,starting at 5:00 PM.Setups will be provided. Bring a dish to share.

I hold the invitation with one hand while unlocking the doorto my townhouse with the other. The delicious sounds ofsilence fill my ears as I close the door behind me and makemy way to my bedroom to get ready for my night out withthe girls while trying to wrap my mind around the fifteen-yearreunion. So they decided to go ahead with it. I warnedLaura we might not have enough people who'd want to attendso soon after everything that happened during the last one.The memory is still pretty fresh—at least in my mind. Buther response insinuated that I spend too much time here inJackson and points beyond to know what's happening withfolks in Piney Point. Right. Like I don't still have a salon there.

We nearly didn't have a reunion last time because Laurawas so disorganized. Her husband, Pete, wound up in the hospitalfrom alcohol poisoning. Trudy passed out from extremedieting while her ex-husband played the jerk. And I nearlymissed the whole thing from fussing with my mother.

At least Laura has the sense to let someone else have a pieceof the responsibility this time, but knowing her, I question howmuch control she's willing to give up—especially to Celeste.According to some of the people in my Piney Point salon, thetwo of them are firmly established in a frenemy relationship.

I was tempted not to attend five years ago, but not so thistime. There's nothing that will make me happier than to offhandedlymention the fact that I've expanded my business, andI now own at least one salon in every major southeastern city.I close my eyes and envision my classmates' expressions as Iexplain that my next goal is to grow my business up the eastcoast and then to be accepted on the TV Network Shoppingchannel. This is my ultimate dream, and it looks like I'm gettingvery close to realizing it. They do a bazillion dollars' worthof business every year, and I'd love to have a slice of that pie. Infact, I've been getting some interest from some of the bigwigsabout a system I designed to help women have the covetedbig hair without all the teasing that damages the hair shaft.Apparently the rest of the country has finally acknowledgedwhat Southern women have always known—big hair is hot.

Yeah, I'm totally going to this reunion.

Rather than wait to hear from Mother or Dad about thereunion they've probably known about since Laura made thedecision to have it, I grab the phone and punch in their number."I wondered how long it would take you to call," Mothersays.

"I just got the invitation in today's mail."

She sighs. "You know you're always welcome to stay here.I'll have Teresa get your room ready." After a brief pause, sheasks, "How long do you think you'll be here?" There's a tighteningin her voice that always worries me.

"I haven't really thought about it."

"You were here an awful long time for the tenth ... not thatI mind, but you know how busy I am ... I mean your dad andI are, and ..." Her voice trails off, but I know that what comesafter the dot-dot-dot is probably what I need to know.

"Tell you what, Mother, if I decide to hang around morethan a week, I'll make other arrangements."

"No, Priscilla, that's not what I'm saying. It's just that, well..." Her voice cracks, so she stops and clears her throat."You know you don't have to limit your stay here to a week. Acouple weeks will be just fine."

At least I know what I'm working with. "Thanks, Mother.I'm sure that'll be plenty of time to help Laura and Celeste andmaybe even work in a few appointments."

"Oh, that's another thing. We're already getting calls frompeople who want you to make them over after what you didfor Celeste last time."

She's right. I did a wonderful job of taking Celeste fromdowdy to desirable, and I hear she's actually dating now.Jimmy Shackleford and Celeste—not the ideal match in mymind, but it is what it is.

"You still there, Priscilla?"

"Yes, I was just thinking. Please just tell people to call thesalon and book with Sheila. I don't want you to have to worryabout my schedule."

"When should I tell Teresa to have your room ready?"

I look at my calendar and give Mother a date before wefinally hang up. As I get ready for a girls' birthday night outwith my office manager, Mandy, and salon manager, Rosemary,I find myself wondering how Dad managed to talk Motherinto hiring someone to help out around the house. My parentshave certainly always had the money to hire domestic help,but Mother resisted, using the argument that she'd have toclean before the cleaning lady came, so there was no point.Yeah, she's a control freak.

The rest of the evening, the phone call with Mother playsthrough my head. She seems vulnerable and ... scared. I'veheard that at some point in almost everyone's life, the child-parentrole reverses. I hope that's not what's happening, butI put it on my mental list to consider, along with somethingeven worse. Divorce. They've had problems in the past, but Ithought they had worked them out. Even if I didn't want togo to the reunion, being there for a couple weeks will give mesome time to figure out what's really going on with Mother andDad. I know divorce is more common than staying togetherthese days, but it's not like either of them has actually doneanything that they can't fix. Plus—and I know this may soundselfish—I've always seen them as my safety net, a place to fallif things go bad. No matter how well things have gone forme, I still wanted to have that. Problem is, between reunions,I can never think of an excuse to stick around Piney Pointmore than a day or two—not nearly enough time to evaluatemy parents. I just wish I could figure out what went wrongafter the last reunion, when things started looking up betweenMother and me as well as in their relationship.

* * *

"Happy birthday, Mandy," I say as I lean in for a hug and airkiss. Five years ago when I met this girl, I wasn't so sure shewould work out, but I was desperate for someone to answerthe phones, and now she's my office manager.

She flicks her hand from the wrist and rolls her eyes. "Don'tremind me. Let's just party and forget it's my birthday."

I laugh. Mandy isn't even thirty yet, but I play along. "Youdon't look a day older than when I first hired you."

She starts to comment, but Rosemary breezes into the restaurantlooking harried as usual. "Sorry, but my client neededextra TLC, and you know how I am."

"Boy howdy, do we ever," Mandy says. "C'mon, let's get aseat. I'm starvin'."

Rosemary billows her top. "It sure is hot out there, and itisn't even summer yet."

"That reminds me," Mandy says. "I better eat a salad, or Iwon't be able to wear my bikini when I go to Biloxi with Mamain a couple of weeks."

"I don't remember the last time I was able to wear a bikini,"Rosemary says. "In fact, I don't even own a swimsuit."

Mandy tilts her head toward Rosemary. "So what do youwear to lay out?"

"Lay out?" Rosemary and I exchange a glance and grin aswe follow Mandy to the hostess stand. "Girl, you better...