Week #1: Plotting

Story Start: The story starts with Dani delivering the news that Kyle's aunt and uncle, Roy and Taylor, have died. She doesn't have all the details, as the conversation with Kyle's father was short. What is known - Roy and Taylor have left their three children (John, Josie, Madison) orphaned. Dani and Kyle drop everything and return to New Jersey to be with Kyle's family.

Inciting Incident: Roy and Taylor's lawyer delivers the news to both sides of the family. Instead of leaving the children to either Taylor's mother or Roy's parents, they've left them with Dani and Kyle. No one is comfortable with this arrangement, least of all Dani and Kyle. It is only after they read a letter from the deceased couple that explains their reasoning that they get used to the idea. It takes a lot of convincing to get Roy's mother used to the idea.

Point of No Return: The children each have different reactions to Dani and Kyle being their guardians, but they all come around to the idea of moving. Their level of comfort regarding the move varies. They move into Dani and Kyle's Brownstone in Turtle Bay. They enroll the children in new schools, adopt a puppy, and settle into a routine. It's not the normal the children are used to, but it's their new normal.

Conflict/Outcome/Low Point: Madison has diabetes. No matter how prepared Dani thinks she is to handle this, she isn't. When the first real medical emergency happens, Dani isn't even there. She's at work, and Madison is with a family friend. She feels guilty for not being there when it happened. Up until that point, things had been going okay regarding Madison's diabetes. Dani made sure to stay on top of it. After the emergency, Dani is torn between being a pest about double, even triple checking Madison's blood sugar level and insulin levels and just letting Madison enjoy her life. This is an ongoing conflict that will not have a real solution; Dani has to learn to respond better.

Conflict/Outcome/Low Point: Another lawsuit against Ira Bryson, the leader of the Sedecim Dei Leges cult, has been announced. Dani is the only person who has ever sued anyone from the group. Though they settled out of court, there is still the looming fear that she will be called to testify. Dani has stopped publicly speaking out about her experiences in Sedecim Dei Leges because the memories are too painful. She has never publicly disclosed the details of her kidnapping at the hands of other members on Ira's order. The only people she talks about it with are her therapist, her close friends, and her husband. As she experiences more and more flashbacks (associated with her PTSD), John and Josie begin to question what all went on. Dani is reluctant to talk about it with them. She ultimately does after weeks of pestering. What Dani feels won't go away until she testifies. It is up to Dani to figure out how to get through this without having another break down.

Conflict/Outcome/Low Point: How does a woman who didn't have a normal childhood raise a child and two teenagers in 2018? This is a struggle throughout the entire novel. Dani never had to deal with sex, drugs, peer pressure, and the like. While she did go to school, her only friends were fellow cult members. Even if she was around people of different religions and walks of life, her inner circle always had her surrounded by like-minded people. The normal goings-on of a high school student are foreign to her because she lived such a sheltered existence. When John and Josie come to her for advice, she doesn't always have all the answers. She goes with her gut on most topics but consults two friends to find out what all is going on.

Conflict/Outcome/Low Point: Dani and Kyle are a young couple. She's in her mid twenties, he's in his late. They are a couple who are in the prime of their lives, working similar jobs as performers where the normal hours are evening ones. How can they manage to maintain some semblance of a social life with their friends that don't have kids while spending meaningful time with the children? It comes, but not after months of trail and error. At times, it comes off as though they smother the children. Other times, it feels as though they hardly see the children from being so busy and committing to fun events with friends.

Darkest Hour: The day she has to testify is looming closer and closer. It's hard for Dani to stay calm and go about her work when her mind is so preoccupied. She finds where her anxiety prescription was hidden and keeps them with her. The thought of taking a few pills to calm her terrifies her, what with her past history of abusing pills. However, having them close is enough to get her through the final days of waiting.

Climax: A talk with a close friend calms Dani down just moments before she's about to go off the deep end. She is able to get through testifying with minimal problems. Dani almost removes herself from the situation, trying not to show how much the constant retelling of the story kills her. She spends the rest of her weekend with her husband, relaxing and taking some time to reflect. Dani begins to think about the next steps in her life.

Resolution: The ruling in the lawsuit is handed down. Dani makes her debut in a solo Cabaret show soon after, a fun way for her to let off some steam. Dani makes two big decisions during this time - one regarding the future of her job, and one regarding the future of her childhood home. The house has loomed over her for so long now. It's an easy decision to demolish it. What to do with the contents of the inside is the hard part. She sells what she can and donates all profits and extraneous items to charity. She is happy to watch the house she shared with her mother and Ira be torn down, an almost symbolic end to the hold Sedecim Dei Leges has held onto her life over the years. The job was a much harder decision to come to, but she knew it was time to leave. The story closes when an exciting job opportunity presents itself to Dani, leaving the door open for a 4th novel in the series.