Roots at Saint Margaret’s

Rainy 37 stories

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Summary

Saint Margaret’s Home for Young Women is home to twenty-six girls, each navigating a pivotal crossroad in her life. Among them are expectant mothers, young women balancing motherhood with school, and regular teenagers like seventeen-year-old Lizzie, who relies on the home’s strict routines and predictable structure to build a sense of safety she never had before. Everything changes when Lisa, a guarded and defiant sixteen-year-old, moves into Lizzie's room. Used to a system where stability never lasts, Lisa’s survival strategy is simple: break the rules, push people away, and burn bridges before anyone can reject her. When Lisa begins testing boundaries—sneaking out past curfew, encouraging younger residents to shirk their responsibilities, and risking the whole house's privileges—Lizzie is forced to intervene. The story follows the evolving dynamic between the two girls as tension turns into an unspoken truce, and eventually, a genuine bond. Through shared responsibilities—from protecting vulnerable younger residents and rebuilding a neglected community garden to stepping up as leaders during a storm outage—Lisa begins to understand that rules aren't just restrictions; they are the framework that keeps their community safe