Page 95 of Secret Spark

“Who was that?” Mom asked warily.

“Just a new neighbor. Joan.” Saying her name made her chest tighten. “She was talking about opening a food truck, so we were tossing around ideas. She was the one I was having brunch with last week. She made the food, I made the drinks.”

It was like putting Joan’s name back in her mouth had opened the floodgates. Sadie mashed her lips together to stop the rush of words before her mother put two and two together.

“Does she have experience with such a thing?” Mom said.

“Ihave tons of experience. I’m qualified.”

The thought stopped her in her tracks. “I’m really qualified for this,” Sadie murmured to herself.

“You have a college degree,” Mom said.

Why did her family keep mentioning some damn piece of paper Sadie’d received over a decade ago? She marched into the flow of sidewalk traffic. “Mom, I love you, but I need you to listen.I like what I do.I want to open a café. That’s my dream. And even if I don’t do that, I don’t want to work in a corporate environment. Especially not an insurance company.”

“I know, honey. It’s just…”

“I don’t have the greatest track record and haven’t given you many reasons to trust me. But this is who I am. I go into things with my heart on my sleeve.”

Like falling for a secret Supervillain.

Mom was quiet for several moments. “You’re a lot like your dad when we first met. He had those wild ideas about starting a greenhouse. Or no, it was a farming co-op. The greenhouse came later.”

“Dad likes gardening as a hobby. He’s told me he didn’t want the enjoyment he gets from it to be a source of stress. Like how I do little craft projects for fun.”

“I’m just saying he realized what he needed to do to support a family. Maybe when you meet the right person, you’ll change your mind.”

“Maybe I will,” Sadie said.Or maybe that person will encourage my dreams. Like Joan.

Somehow, her body was able to produce yet another wave of tears.

She turned down the alley leading to VCC. “I’m at work. Tell Dad I’m glad he didn’t give up his love of gardening. Maybe I’ll take the train out this weekend to see you.”

“We’d love that,” Mom said. “Other than going to Jazz on the Square with the Ditmeyers tonight, we’ve got nothing going on.”

Sadie said something about having a good time before they hung up. She couldn’t go into work all weepy again.

A SuperWatch notification appeared.

New Report: Trick is the mastermind behind the recent uptick in criminal activity. Hide and Volt are working alongside him. Multiple sources have reported Breeze, Ice and Spark deny being involved.

Her heart leapt into her throat. Was that because they were busy working on plans for Hot and Cold? Could they… Could Sadie…

Joan’s mournful expression filled her head.I wish I could be the good person you thought I was.

Dang it, Joan really had been fairly honest (minus the One Big Lie). She’d saved a dog’s life. She was a good person, and it stung to think she didn’t believe that about herself. The world had told her her entire life she was to be feared, that she was bad and not to be trusted. That would do a number on anyone.

“Oh, Joan,” she whispered.

This felt so different than all the other times she’d discovered someone had been using her. Because that was the difference—Joan never asked her for anything. Only offered and supported. For someone who could’ve easily manipulated Sadie, she’d done anything but.

If it weren’t for Joan, Sadie’s Café would seem far, far away. Though doing it without her might not be as fun. But itcouldbe done. Joan had shown her that. Joan had shown her a lot of things were possible.

Joan Malone was pretty incredible and needed to know that.

Hope twirled in her chest as she pulled up their text chain. They hada lotto talk about and work through, but it was worth giving it a try. Giving Joan a try. No more holding back on questioning things. Joan needed to give her the whole truth.

A sudden, sharp urge to drop her phone overwhelmed her. She blinked to try to clear the thought, but it pulsed strong, steady, relentless. Her phone slipped from her fingers.

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