Origin

Chapter One

Calabasas, California - April 24, 2011

        Brynn Vanderburg scanned the large shoe collection displayed on the back wall of her walk in closet and seized a pair of scarlet stilettos. The shoes were brand new, but far more comfortable than she anticipated, which elicited a sigh of relief as she took the steps to the full-length mirror on the wall to give herself one final look. Her black dress was straight in cut and snug in fit, with a lace layer overtop that came up to cover her chest and shoulders, allowing her tanned skin to peak through the intricate floral design. It was elegant without being over the top and as she took in the outfit, she felt pleased with her decision to wear it for the evening.

        Growing up as the daughter of an A-list celebrity couple, and being a television star herself, Brynn was no stranger to the Hollywood material world, full of glamorous clothing and expensive jewelry. Network events, fashion shows, premiere parties, and award shows were normal time-fillers for her. While Brynn had long outgrown the nervousness that preceded such events, she found herself slipping into the old feeling. Tonight Brynn would be making her silver-screen debut and up until the point of choosing her shoes, she thought had done well keeping calm.

           “You can never go wrong with a black dress.”

        The sound of Sigourney’s voice startled Brynn, causing her to stumble back a step as she twirled to face the doorway. She brushed her hands over her hips as she steadied herself and smiled sheepishly.

        “Sorry, sweetheart.” Sigourney put her hands up and took a step forward. “I didn’t mean to scare you. I just wanted to make sure you were alright. Our car will be here any minute.”

        “Thanks, Mom. I feel totally fine. Fantastic.” She flashed an unconvincing smile.

        Sigourney offered a soft laugh. “Nervous?”

        Brynn sucked in her lips and nodded. 

        “I was nervous at my first premiere, too. You’ve had a lot more practice with interviews than I had at that time, though. I’m sure you’ll do much better than I did.” She grinned and fussed with a strand of her daughter’s hair before leaning in as if to share a secret. “I threw up in the limo on the way there.”

        “Seriously? In the red carpet pictures you look so poised an-and clean.” She paused for a moment and looked at her mother, unconvinced. “Didn’t all the fashion magazines just rave about how Sigourney Andrews was ‘beautiful in beige’?” 

        Sigourney raised her eyebrows. “I’ve always said that makeup teams are a life-savor, Brynn. Do you think I left without mine?”

        Brynn smiled and turned back to her mirror. Unlike her mother and younger sister, she didn’t have the same fondness for having strangers play with her hair and makeup. She preferred to get herself ready whenever she had the option, which unfortunately did not happen often. The process of getting ready felt relaxing to Brynn. Best of all, it made her feel like a normal teenage girl when she got to play with her own look, and she liked to believe that she did a good job.

        “You look beautiful, sweetheart.” Sometimes Brynn swore her mother had the ability to read her mind.

        “So do you. I see that you’re repeating the beige look.”

        The dress—a knee-length beige number with a cinched waist and subtle silver detail along the neckline—looked like a less bedazzled version of the dress her mother had worn at her own first movie premiere over twenty years prior.