"No," she says through her giggles, taking the change from my hand and dropping it into the can markedPlot's Treat Fund."No, it's me and my dirty mind."
"And we are a good, clean family establishment, Sophie," I say, shaking my head sternly, and she looks mock-scandalizedbefore we both smile at each other. I feel something click in my chest.
Beautiful.
Not just her appearance—though that is clear as day—but her humor, her kindness, and her warmth are pulling me in like I'm caught in her orbit.
And I don't want to stop it.
Chapter Five
Callum
"Could I read your tarot, dove?"
I jump at the familiar voice to my left, yanked out of the staring contest like a fish on a line. My mom can still manage to sneak up on me... or maybe I was just too distracted...
Sophie's cheeks darken as she looks over to my mom, whose brown eyes bounce back and forth between us with a knowing grin. I shoot her a look that she pointedly ignores, silently trying to tell her not to frighten away the customers, especiallythiscustomer.
Her gaze locks on Sophie and holds, thoughtful and dreamy, like she's seeing something I can't.
"Oh," Sophie breathes, and her brows furrow while her face reads like she’s a little unsure. "I've actually never had one done before..."
"First time for everything, and the first is free. Store policy.”
It is not—she just made that up—but I'll be damned if I say anything. Mom gently hooks her arm through Sophie's and guides the shorter girl over to her table, herdomain.
Sophie looks over her shoulder at me, her expression questioning, and I smile reassuringly as I place her books in one of our canvas totes.
"It's painless," I assure her with a wink, and she smiles, cheeks pinkening in an adorable way.
Jesus...
They sit, and I follow them over to the tarot nook: a round wooden table with two padded chairs, one on either side, that my dad made for my mom.
Sophie sits gracefully, setting her navy tote bag on the ground next to her feet. Those pretty eyes watch Mom expertly shuffle the cards, and I hang back a bit to give them some privacy, leaning against the wall, but still in full sight of Sophie's face.
She smiles genuinely at my mom, and warmth spreads from my chest outward. She's not being patronizing, not dismissing, and calling the tarot'woo-woo nonsense' assome other people do.
And even if she's thinking it, she's being kind.
That's all we can really ask from people, isn't it?
"Alright, dove, think of your question. Or your ache. You don't have to tell me what it is,” Mom says softly, fanning the deck out. "Cut for me?"
Once she does, Mom closes her eyes and takes a deep breath before flipping four cards in a line.
She points to the first card, a burning tower struck by lightning.
"The Tower," she says for the first card, and her voice goes low. "Sudden disruption, often necessary. What has broken needed to break. It feels like destruction, but it's just the removal of waste."
Sophie's big eyes widen even more, and I can't help but lean in a little, intrigued now.
The next card is a woman gently closing a roaring lion's mouth.
"Strength," Mom says, smiling with her eyes. "Not force. Courage, the quiet kind. You already possess the inner fortitude to face your challenges head-on."
I glance at Sophie, her face shifts from unease to determination, like she's gathering herself right in front of me.
