Mending Broken Threads
E.D. Hackett
Publication date: January 28th 2025
Genres: Adult, Women’s Fiction
Family secrets never stay buried for long…
Lynette Waller, a divorced Chicagoan, finds herself face to face with the demons of her past after her estranged mother passes away. Standing in her childhood home for the first time in decades, she learns of her mother’s past mistakes and regret through a magic suitcase, a medium, and her equally estranged daughter, Ruby.
To her parents’ disdain, Ruby Franklin traded security for chaos when she dropped out of college to pursue her modeling career in California. When an unexpected phone call sends her to Maine for her beloved grandmother’s passing, she finds herself emotionally unprepared for a family reunion.
The magic suitcase allows Lynette and Ruby to see into the matriarch’s past, but what lessons do her secrets hold? As they search for answers, they find that sometimes the truth is hiding in plain sight. With the help of Mema’s memories, will this mother-daughter duo heal old wounds and find the love buried within their past?
If you adore mother-daughter stories, heartwarming relationships, and transformative journeys, you’ll love this women’s fiction novel Mending Broken Threads.
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EXCERPT:
In a trance, and ready to crumble into a puddle, Lynette sat down with her arms tightly crossed against her chest. She examined her daughter before responding. Radiant skin, precise eyebrows, and a sun-kissed face made her appear healthy and well. “Well, not great.” Lynette wanted to add more, but she couldn’t reveal her agonizing mental state that had nearly destroyed her over the past three years.
“Do you want to talk? It’s been a while.”
Lynette swallowed, unsure how much to say. “Well, it’s been about three years.”
“I’m sorry about that.” Ruby looked down and her shoulders slumped forward. Lynette’s heart reached out to her, but her brain reminded her she needed to be strong.
“I saw your profile on Instagram, so I knew you were still alive.”
Ruby leaned forward, her blue eyes inviting Lynette to say more. “I didn’t know you were on social media,” she said.
“I’m not,” Lynette scowled. “Martha found you and we both sent you messages.”
Ruby’s head bobbed up and down like a buoy trying to stay afloat in the ocean. “Sorry. I get a lot of spam with my modeling. Companies preying on me, creepy men, and bots. If I don’t recognize the name, I don’t even open them.”
“Of course. You can’t imagine how surprised I was when Martha pulled up your face and I realized you were actually living the life you told me you’d live.” Lynette held Ruby’s gaze, daring her to either confirm or deny her success.
Ruby’s eyes dropped. “Yeah, it’s been quite a wild ride. I’m the spokesperson for Jolie Belle. Have you heard of them? In all my Instagram posts, I’m wearing their products. And I wear something every day. Like this.” She held out her wrist and two gold bangles clanged.
“Pretty.”
“Jolie Belle is a new designer based in L.A.. It’s for hip, young women, and they selected me from my modeling portfolio.”
Lynette heard her, but the words traveled over her shoulders and swirled above her head. “Great.” She hadn’t intended sarcasm, but the word had been out before she could stop it.
Ruby’s head pulled like she’d been hit by a slingshot.
“I’m sorry, it’s just that I didn’t expect to see you here. A phone call would have been nice.”
“I was happy in L.A., Mom. I didn’t want to complicate it by—”
Lynette’s eyes shot up. “What. Contacting me? Do you know how many days and nights I worried about you? Did you have enough money? Were you living on the streets? Did you have a job? Were you alive? You left, and I never heard from you again.”
Ruby’s shoulders hunched down, and she mumbled, “People knew. I thought they’d tell you.”
Glaring at her only daughter, Lynette fumbled for the words. “I don’t even want to talk about that right now. What about your parents, huh? What about me? Your father? Did you even know the divorce was finalized? Did you know your dad remarried? Do you even care?”
Ruby’s voice dropped to her chest. “I knew. Auntie Lori told me and Dad sent me an invite.”
Without thinking, Lynette’s anguish and frustration erupted. “I sacrificed over twenty years to give you a good life, and you trampled over me, throwing me out like a bag of trash. I haven’t heard from you in three years. I deserve more from you. I deserve respect.”
Ruby’s eyes widened and tears splashed against her bronzed cheeks.
“Stop. Right now. You have no right to cry,” Lynette scolded. “You left on your own free will.”
Author Bio:
E.D Hackett is a Speech-language pathologist by day and a writer by night. She writes novels that investigate layers of self-expectations, family dynamics, self-love and self-acceptance. She hopes that her novels create a safe and cozy environment for her readers to fall into and explore.
She writes women’s fiction with one foot in romance.
She lives in New England but in her heart, she feels that she belongs in Ireland. She reads women's fiction and romantic comedies, prefers books to movies, loves ice cream over cake, and thrives in fall and spring.
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