The Windfall by Ellie Danes, Lily Knight

think there was anything to worry about from my aunt and uncle, what Harold had said to me still echoed through my mind. Trust is a hard thing to give freely once you’ve been burned. I didn’t want to have to worry about moving Mom far away from the only family she had left if I didn’t think this through first. More than anything, I wanted this to work out in the end. If it didn’t, well, we would be looking at another city, another neighborhood to move into where no one knew us. The more I thought about it, the more I thought maybe I should sell the bar and leave that life behind. Maybe closing that chapter of my life would be for the best.
    I shifted my stance and looked out over the water. I wasn’t going to make any rash decisions just yet, but that was one plan to tuck away for the future. I knew my life in that neighborhood was probably ending, I guess I simply didn’t want to let go of it just yet.
    * * * * *
    Two days later, I walked into my temporary bedroom to find my aunt with her back to me, rummaging around by the nightstand.
    “Aunt Sophie? What are you doing in here?” I tried not to sound too accusatory.
    My aunt whirled around and clutched a small stack of papers to her chest, a relieved look replacing the startled one on her face. “My goodness, Cooper, you scared me to death.”
    “Sorry, but this is where I sleep,” I reminded her, placing my beach towel and sunscreen on the dresser. “Can I ask why you are in here?”
    She composed herself and held out the stack of papers to me. “I’m not one to pry into your life, Cooper, but I feel the need to help you out. I am so enjoying having your mom out here, and I don’t want you two to leave. So, here’s a paper for jobs, one for houses, and one for, well, the young ladies. You need to go out and enjoy yourself, Cooper. Find you a nice woman and take her out on a few dates.”
    I eyed the papers she was holding out, crossing my arms over my chest. “So, I can assume that you were the reason there was an ad for singles’ bars taped to the bathroom mirror this morning?”
    My aunt had the decency to at least look embarrassed as she laid the papers on the bed, giving me a little smile. “Sometimes you just need a little push. Only, don’t think of me as being pushy, I just want this to work out for you. I’ve enjoyed having ya’ll here, and I will be so sad to see you go if it doesn’t.”
    “Thanks, Aunt Sophie,” I sighed as she gave me a hug. “I will look at all of them — well, almost all of them — and see if there is anything out there I am interested in as far as the housing and the jobs.” I then pulled away, giving her a wink. “But leave the women up to me, okay?”
    She smirked and patted my chest with her fingers, turning to leave the room. “You’ve got a deal. See you later, dear.”
    I watched her leave the bedroom and pull the door closed behind her, frustration building in my chest. While Mom seemed to really be enjoying herself, I was starting to feel a little bit of a push from both my aunt and my uncle to get a move on with my life. So far, my uncle came home every day with a tidbit on how to apply for this or that job, and it seemed my aunt was trying to make some kind of love connection for me. It was kind of exhausting. I knew they meant well, but it was just a little overwhelming. I didn’t even know what I wanted to do, and I certainly didn’t want to get involved with anyone right now with everything I already had on my plate. Not that I’d even know how after being on my own for so long, taking care of Mom, and working numerous jobs to make ends meet. Any attempt at a love life had taken a serious back seat to reality.
    After a quick shower, I grabbed the papers Aunt Sophie had left and the car keys to the rental and walked downstairs and headed outside toward the car. I needed a little privacy and somewhere to gather my thoughts. I’d passed a place on my way out here, a little hole in the wall