Fiona and Patricia have been best friends since first grade. Now, as adults, the two live amid the glitter and glam of L.A. When Fiona becomes pregnant for her own daughter, she begins to take a deeper look at the relationships that have shaped her own life. From her cold, unaffectionate mother to her distant father, she relives defining moments of her childhood, conveniently skirting the most significant; a better-left-forgotten secret she shares with Patricia.

After twenty years, in a moment of weakness Patricia publicly reveals the secret, therapeutically freeing herself. But Fiona isn’t ready to confront those demons. Will their friendship survive?

Although the story is intriguing, it falls a tad short. Fiona’s pregnancy seems to take up more space and importance than the secret, which is mentioned sparsely here and there throughout the book, its significance never really made clear until the revelation. The characters, although likeable, don’t carry the raw emotion a story like this requires. Author Delaune Michel comes from a family of accomplished literary authors such as Andre Dubus, Elizabeth Nell Dubus and James Lee Burke. In time, no doubt, she will follow in their footsteps.