And that's enough to keep Sadde in a good mood all day. She doesn't see Isabella until dinner, and is still visibly pleased then.

"You look happy."

"Yyyup, I'd been trying to avoid getting too optimistic bbbuuuuttt apparently not only did Jackson get rid of his abusive dom, he found another one who seems to actually be nice." Pause. "Sorry, I know you don't like talking about Jackson much."

"I'm pretty over it, we're never going to be pals but I'm glad he's doing okay and everything."

"Mmhm, yeah. I'm hoping I can subtly influence his new dom to tell him to get back to therapy and get his life back on track. I'm also scolding the part of me that's hoping that as 'too meddlesome.'"

"So you're going to meet the dom?"

"Eventually, if they do end up together, after they're steady n' stuff."

"Maybe this one won't collar him day one, that'd be a change."

"Already hasn't, they went on a dinner date last night, part of why I'm optimistic."

"Oh good."

"Also less of an age gap, he's in high school."

"That's good too."

"Mmhm, optimistic!"

"You're cute." Scritch.

She giggles. "Thanks, ma'am." Nom nom, "so, how'd your day go?"

"Oh, uneventful school stuff. And at lunch I dropped soup on myself and had to go change, that's the most standout part of the day."

"Did you get burnt?"

"Not very, can't see it anymore."

"Okay. I'm pretty certain I can heal first-degree burns on other people now, if you want."

"How sure's pretty sure?"

"About as sure as I was that I wouldn't kill anyone when I left the wilderness four years ago."

"...uh, which is how sure, lovely."

"I dunno, like ninety nine point nine percent sure? I wouldn't have returned if I'd been any less certain, I stayed around for an extra like six months after I knew just to be really, really thoroughly sure this time."

Unspoken is the "accident" that happened at the start of it all.

"Okay; do you need to look at it?"

"I feel like I don't but I don't understand why so I want to anyway."