Page 20 of All You Need Is Macchiato

"Was it?"

"Of course." She nods toward where Jake is explaining something to Kathryn, his hands sketching shapes in the air. "I watched him connect people who never would have found each other otherwise. Pretty soon I was as invested as he was."

"And now you're married."

"And now we're married." She studies me over her tea. "Though that wasn't part of the original business plan."

I catch her meaning but choose to ignore it. "Small towns are different. People here... they're not always open to change."

"Neither was I." She pulls up another photo—an elderly man hugging a young girl. "This is Sarah Thompson, the girl whoneeded reading help, with Mr. Collins, the retired teacher who helped her. Both of them thought they were alone in what they needed. Both of them were wrong."

Across the room, Kathryn looks up and catches me watching. Her smile shifts into something softer, more personal. I look away quickly.

"You know," Sophia says casually, "when Jake first met Kathryn, she was just another barista trying to make ends meet. But she got it immediately. She saw how coffee shops could be more than just places to grab a drink. How they could bring people together."

"Hope is risky."

"So is anything worth doing." She gathers her camera. "Though between you and me? I think she's found something worth the risk here. And I'm not talking about the coffee shop."

She moves away before I can respond, rejoining Jake and Kathryn at the wall. I watch them talk, these people who believe in wishes and walls and the power of coffee shop magic.

Kathryn turns again, catching my eye. This time I hold her gaze, just for a moment. Just long enough to see something question in her expression, something that makes my carefully constructed walls feel a little less solid.

"Your coffee's getting cold," Annie says softly.

Right. Coffee. Business. Walls.

"A little higher on the left." Kathryn steps back, studying the Wishing Wall sign I'm hanging. "No, your other left."

"I only have one left." I adjust the corner anyway, fighting a smile at her concentrated frown. She's perched on a chair across the room, head tilted as she considers the angle.

"Perfect." She hops down, nearly colliding with a table. I catch myself starting forward before she rights herself with a laugh. "Though you didn't have to help, you know."

"And miss the chance to be bossed around? Never."

Her eyes spark at the challenge. "I do not boss."

"You literally just made me adjust this sign six times."

"Five, actually." She moves closer, pretending to study the sign but definitely invading my space. "The last one was just to see if you'd do it."

I should step back. Should maintain some professional distance. Instead, I find myself leaning slightly closer. "Enjoying your power trip?"

"Immensely." She smells like coffee and vanilla, and it's doing dangerous things to my concentration.

"If you two are done flirting," Jake calls from across the room, "we've got signage to explain."

Kathryn steps back quickly, cheeks pink. "Right. The explanation cards."

We set up at a nearby table, spreading out the materials. Kathryn's shoulder brushes mine as she leans in to show me the text she's drafted.

"We want to make it clear this isn't just another bulletin board," she explains. "It's about creating connections, helping dreams come true. No matter how small."

"Very poetic."

She bumps my shoulder. "I'm serious. People can sign their wishes or leave them anonymous. Others can help directly or through the baristas. The important thing is making everyone feel safe sharing their hopes."

"And you really think people will?"

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