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friends and family as Indigo Irene Harper. She saw herself standing next to him as he was commissioned as a naval officer. She visualized him wearing a Navy pilot uniform and climbing into the plane he’d fly on a regular basis, before eventually returning to Houston to don an astronaut uniform. The vision he laid out for both of them seemed wonderful and right.
    She held his hands and admired the way her engagement ring sparkled on her ring finger while he mused out loud.
    “I’ll be at the top of my game, but so will you,” he said. “I see you at the commissioning ceremony with your camera, taking photos of all of the officers and being paid by the Navy for your work. You’re with me in Houston as one of the official NASA photographers, recording images for the history books and media. We can achieve our goals and still be together.”
    Indigo’s smile weakened. The only problem with this picture was that her dream was being reshaped to fit into his.
    Was this the sacrifice required for love? Was this why Rachelle had sounded so cautious when they talked earlier this morning?
    If she was going to float the idea of waiting, now was probably the best time.
    “Brian, I’ve been thinking about the decision we made last night, and I’m having second thoughts about rushing our wedding and giving up grad school. Maybe we could hold off on the wedding? Or if we do get married now, why couldn’t we be apart until I finish my master’s? This is a great program, and it’s hard to think about giving it up completely.”
    He sat back in the chair and stared at her. “I thought we agreed, Indigo. Now what’s the problem?”
    Without giving her a chance to reply, he motioned for the waitress to refill his coffee.
    “Let’s see where they send me after OCS, okay?” Brian asked. “Maybe you can enroll in an art institute near where we’ll be based. Besides, you already have your bachelor’s degree. It’s not like you can’t do well without the master’s.”
    She wanted to ask him to slow down, to give her time to process it all and make sure she was comfortable moving forward. At the moment, however, that annoying blurriness had returned to her left eye, and she was concerned that it might blossom into a headache.
    Indigo leaned forward and motioned for Brian to do the same, so she could kiss him across the table. The taste of his coffee lingered on her lips.
    “I love you, baby,” she said softly. “Let’s just enjoy today, okay?”

9
    T he expansive parking lot adjacent to Hair Pizzazz’s squat red building was filled with cars and SUVs when Indigo and Yasmin arrived in the late afternoon. Indigo lucked out on a spot near the door, not far from Rachelle’s black Beamer.
    They walked toward the salon entrance and paused before going inside.
    “It feels weird to be here when she’s not,” Yasmin said.
    “Yeah, it does,” Indigo said. “Hopefully it won’t be for long.”
    Aunt Melba was at their parents’ home, napping and watching TV, instead of delivering the wit and wisdom her customers craved, along with the hairstyles she customized for them. Tears had filled her eyes when they told her they were leaving to check on things at her place.
    “Thank . . . you.” The effort it took for Melba to utter two words left her spent and tugged at Indigo’s heart.
    “For what, Auntie? We’re family. What you love, we love,” Indigo said. “Hair Pizzazz is going to keep thriving until you’re ready to take over again. You just focus on getting well.”
    The two sisters stood here now, but neither made a move to enter.
    Indigo took the initiative. “Come on. Rachelle’s inside. It will be okay.”
    She pulled open the mahogany door and stepped back so Yasmin could enter first. The fourteen-year-old gingerly walked in and waited for Indigo to follow.
    “What are you afraid of, sis?” Indigo asked. “It’s the same place.”
    “I’m thinking about what happened the last time we were here,” Yasmin