Free Rocky Road by Josi S. Kilpack Page B

illness.
    Too easy?
    While Sadie compiled the timeline, she also made a list of questions the timeline raised. After the third mention of “the boutique” in some of the articles, Sadie turned to Caro, who was sitting cross-legged on the bed with her computer in her lap.
    “What’s the boutique? Lori said something about it, and then it keeps being mentioned—is it part of the foundation?”
    “Yeah,” Caro said, moving her laptop and stretching her legs out in front of her. “Tess said they opened it a couple of years ago. It has a lot of post-cancer items like surgical bras, prosthetics, and tops that don’t go too low.”
    “What’s the name of the boutique?” Sadie asked as she opened a new browser tab on her computer.
    “Pink Posy Boutique,” Caro said. “Tess wants us to stop in some time this week. In addition to their post-mastectomy stuff, they have a line of fitness clothing she thinks I’ll love and then a whole jewelry line with their logo on it—a little pink flower. Part of everything they sell goes back into breast cancer research.”
    Sadie thanked Caro for the information, and then scanned the website when it loaded. The site was obviously done by a professional, not someone playing around with a design program, and Sadie admired the crisp graphics and user-friendly menus that included a full catalogue, online ordering, links to other breast cancer-specific sites, and an explanation about the company. The history included on the site gelled with what Caro had said. “It says here that they donate seventy-five percent of profits to cancer research,” Sadie said, meeting Caro’s eye. “I guess the rest goes to operating costs? Or do they base the profit on net rather than gross?”
    Caro shrugged. “It’s a pretty generous donation, either way.”
    Sadie nodded and read some more, impressed with how many areas of the breast cancer community the Hendrickses had moved into. One particular jewelry item, the “Pink Posy Pin,” was advertised on the sidebar of every page, and Sadie clicked on the graphic to see why it was so popular.
     
    The Pink Posy Pin, designed by Anita Hendricks, is a representation of the hope that Pink Posy Boutique and The Red Rock Cancer Foundation are dedicated to. Made of sterling silver, with enamel inlay and pinch-pin backing, the simple design is meant to remind us that there is always room for hope, even if it begins as a very small seed. Wear it for your sister. Wear it for your friend. Wear it as a tribute to your own journey toward a second chance.
    Like a flower that blooms every spring, we can grow hope one petal at a time!
    *100% of all proceeds of the Pink Posy Pin goes directly to breast cancer research
     
    One hundred percent? Wow. The Pink Posy Pin seemed to be the boutique’s version of the pink ribbon that symbolized breast cancer awareness. Sadie scrolled down to the price and online ordering information and felt her eyebrows raise—$189.00 for a pin that wasn’t more than an inch in diameter? Sadie scrolled back up and looked at the pin in greater detail. It was a simple flower made of sterling silver, with a rhinestone center and five pink petals. It was pretty, but $200 seemed like a steep price to Sadie’s mind. Maybe it was something advertised that no one actually bought. Or maybe Sadie was being too cynical about the symbolism it represented to women whose lives had been directly affected by breast cancer. With a hundred percent of proceeds going to research, maybe the inflated price was to amplify the charitable value of the piece.
    She clicked around the website a little longer and then reviewed what she’d put on the timeline so far, noting that the boutique had been opened a year ago in February. This year they’d introduced a new jewelry item—a Pink Posy Pendant—to celebrate the anniversary. After reading through the website for a few more moments, Sadie went back to the articles and found herself inundated with questions