Lucky Girl by Jamie Pacton (novels for beginners txt) 📕

but trusting Sofie feels like the right thing. “Can you keep a secret?”

She nods, her eyes wide. “Absolutely. What happened? Did Bran finally tell you our plan for spring break?”

I glance over at him and he mouths “later” at me.

“Nope,” I say to Sofie. “I don’t know this mysterious plan, but we’ve been living like rich kids all day today.” I fill her in on my $58 million secret, our day of spending wildly, and how it felt to give that young mother a chunk of money.

Her mouth hangs open for part of my confession, but by the end her smile is back.

“So, let me get this straight,” she says. “You have the chance to be a multimillionaire, but you’re conflicted because you don’t want to give Holden the money. Which I totally understand, because never Holden.”

“Hashtag Never Holden!” calls out Bran. “I want that on a T-shirt.”

I laugh at that. “Never Holden, indeed. But I can’t give it to my mom, so I’m not sure what to do.”

“Why can’t you give it to your mom?” Sofie shoots back.

“Because she’d just waste it,” I say. “You’ve seen my house.”

Sofie looks thoughtful for a moment. “I think it’s worth a try, Jane. I mean, give your mom a chance. Maybe this could be the thing that helps her get past some of her issues.”

“But what if she just takes the money and blows it?”

“Then you’re no worse off than before,” says Sofie. “And Holden won’t get the money. If your mom does give you some of the cash, then you and Bran can come see me in Sydney for spring break!”

Bran cheers at that. “That’s our secret plan, by the way.”

“I love it.” I grin at him, but inside, my mind churns.

Can I really trust my mom? Is the risk of what she might do worth it?

The young mother we just met rises in my mind. She was scared and frustrated and alone, and I bet Mom felt that way when my dad died and it was up to her to care for me.

She hasn’t been a perfect mother, sure, but I think she’s tried. At least in her own way. And I know it’s been hard on her. She deserves a conversation, at least. The vague plan I had in mind begins to take shape.

“You’re right,” I say to Sofie. “Thank you, and if this works, we’re totally coming to see you.”

We chat with Sofie for the rest of the drive home, hanging up only as we pull into a Culvers drive-thru for dinner. While we’re waiting for our food, I tell Bran my three-phase plan to get the lotto money. It’s rough, but I think it might work.

“You sure about this?” Bran asks as we drive through town. “If not, I bet we could find somebody else to cash the ticket for you.”

I take a deep breath. “No. It has to be my mom. I think that’s the best choice, and I’m kind of hoping this can help us through some stuff, you know.”

“I hope it does,” says Bran. He pulls into my driveway.

“Thank you for today,” I say as I get out of the car. “It was magical.”

“You’re magical, Jane. Don’t forget that.”

I blow him a kiss as I gather all my bags, slip my new expensive sunglasses onto my head, and walk into the house.

CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR

MOM IS IN THE LIVING ROOM, SHUFFLING COFFEE MUGS FROM ONE shelf to the next when I walk in the front door. Two more wedding dresses and three prom dresses—gold, green, and purple—sprawl across the couch.

I let out a long sigh as I stand in the doorway watching her. All my fears float to the surface, bobbing around like marshmallows in hot cocoa. This isn’t ideal—Mom’s certainly not ideal—but I have to give her a chance. Time for phase one of my plan: Give Mom the ticket and have her cash it for me. Taking a deep breath, I walk over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

She jumps as she turns with a coffee mug that says Wilkins Family Reunion 2017 clutched in her hands.

“Jane! Oh my goodness, you scared me. I didn’t hear you come in.”

“Hi, Mom,” I say. “Did you eat?”

I hold up a bag full of burgers and fries.

Mom shakes her head. “I was going to, but then I wanted to rearrange some things …”

“C’mon. Let’s go eat and talk in the kitchen.”

Gently, I take the coffee mug from her and place it back on the shelf. Mom shoots me a look as we leave the living room, but she also helps me clear off a spot at the kitchen table.

“How was your day?” she asks as she sits down.

This is so unexpected. Like, I honestly can’t remember the last time Mom asked me about my day.

“It was kind of amazing, actually.” I pop a fry into my mouth. “Bran and I went to Milwaukee, and we spent a bunch of money on sunglasses, massages, and other fun stuff.”

Mom makes an interested noise as she takes a huge bite of her burger. Which gives me the strength to keep going.

“Yeah, we wanted to try out what it was like being rich because—”

Here it goes.

My heart gallops along in my chest, and I swallow some of my fear.

My secret is out in three, two, one …

“Because, uhm, I won the lotto, Mom. You know, the $58 million.”

She chokes on a bite of burger.

“Excuse me, what?” she manages after she’s done coughing. “Say that again, Fortuna Jane.”

“I won the lotto jackpot everyone’s talking about.” I pull Sea Change out of my bag and remove the little, orange, slightly singed lotto ticket. “Google the winning numbers if you want, but I promise you, they’re the same as what’s on here. I’ve had it for days, but it’s not signed yet.” I flip the ticket over so she can see it’s still unsigned.

Mom takes a sip of water, and her gaze meets mine. “I don’t understand. How