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“Are you all right?”
I had been sitting there for a long moment and I didn’t even realize it. I opened and closed my mouth a few times to regain my senses.
“Um. I’m fine. I think. Surprised.” I laughed nervously.
“I know it can be surprising. I have people who can help you manage everything in terms of her estate. I have already retrieved the important documents; the deed, the bank transfer and what not. All you have to do is accept it.”
I was going to take time to think about it, but I knew that would do me no good. She wanted me to have everything for some reason. I could find good to do with it later. But I couldn’t sit on it any longer. I had to accept it, and I had to move past everything.
“I…I accept.” I smiled a little.
“Good.”
We spent the next part of an hour going over everything. It wasn’t really
a complicated task, but there was a lot to think about. If I moved into the house, I would no longer have to pay rent. Utilities would only be about a hundred dollars a month. But it would be too far from the restaurant; I would have to find a new job.
Hell, maybe it was a good way to find a new, better career anyway. I didn’t want to be a waitress for the rest of my life. In school I liked cooking and desserts. But I never thought I could do anything with it. Even when I didn’t have the money, I would buy flour and expensive baking ingredients to try new things.
I said goodbye to Dan, the attorney, and headed to the bank. Everything was good to go when I showed them the documents. They even had a financial advisor explain how important it was to spend the money wisely. I put most in savings and a bit in my own checking account. It felt good. Then I went back home and got ready for work.
I went through my entire shift in a crazy daze. I was nice to the patrons, even flirted back with the beefy guys from the gym just to get better tips. It paid off. As I ran through my checkout procedure, I decided it would be my last shift. It was shitty to leave like that. But I had just made five hundred dollars working both the bar and the floor, thanks to the football game lasting past closing. The place had done enough for me.
Mike was nice about it, but I knew he was disappointed. I was one of the good ones.
I went home. Then I made plans to get boxes and move my things out. Ugh, I would have to rent a car. It would be nice to have friends, then I could ask for help. But I learned to be okay alone a long time ago.
I found a cheap rental car company down the block from my apartment and booked a car for a few days. It was odd, having the money to pay for it without much thought. My heart swelled at the notion of my grandmother still being the only one looking out for me, even in death.
3
Adley
So many memories clouded my head when I drove down to the island. I hadn’t visited her new place in years, honestly I couldn’t remember ever going to it. It was painful when she sold my childhood home to move to this place and I didn’t cope with it well. I should have understood she needed something smaller, with less maintenance. And somewhere my mother hadn’t died. But I didn’t handle it well and so we always met as a restaurant half way.
I guess I shouldn’t have expected the place be perfect, but…it had definitely seen its years. The outside was torn up, to say the least. The inside had a bad smell and I suspected mold, it had been a couple months since her passing. There could be water in the basement. It was two floors, but I was afraid to even climb the rickety staircase. I walked through and realized the kitchen needed new cabinets. And then the small library that was used as an office was actually in good shape. I wondered what I would even do with it. The backyard was a good size, and I even considered getting a dog. The weight of guilt I felt, of not knowing how bad her living conditions were…what was I thinking?
We saw each other all the time, she was never dirty or anything. She looked fine. But she couldn’t maintain this place, that much was clear.
The first floor was hardwood, but it was so worn and scratched, I knew I would have to replace it. In fact, I thought everything would have to be replaced. That was why I didn’t even bother unpacking. All the furniture was covered in plastic wrap, so I sat on the couch and found a blanket in one of my boxes. Then I tried to get comfortable on the old couch, but the smell was unbearable. I couldn’t fix this myself, not even Home Depot would help. I needed a contractor.
I used my smartphone to find a good business nearby. None of the places had good reviews, until I found one with five stars and hundreds of reviews on Yelp. Restoration Home Improvement sounded pretty trustworthy to me. I submitted their online questionnaire and was lucky to book a viewing as early as the next day. Everything seemed to be in place.
The hot water was barely effective, but I showered, dressed in my pjs, and got comfortable on the couch. I could figure something out the next day. The only bed in the place was hers. I couldn’t sleep there. Not yet anyway.
I cried myself to sleep, but it was only because it was all real. She was really gone, and I was really starting a new life. Without her.
4
Tate
My morning routine was the same as always. I woke up and went for a run, enjoying the scenery and waving at the people I always see. I stopped and got a cup of coffee, and then I headed home. It was a good routine, but I still felt a kind of lonely emptiness.
It helped a little bit to be at work, especially if we had a big project. It wasn’t as lonely with all the guys in one place working together. My best friend and partner, Levi, kept me busy most of the time, too. We had been working on a joint project, and it wasn’t that big of one so it had just been the two of us. We agreed on a time to show up every day. Until then, I showered and dressed in jeans and a tee shirt, my self-made uniform.
I hopped in my truck and set off for the job site. Then I got a call on the way there.
“Hello?” I had Bluetooth so I only had to press a button and answer.
