Chapter 28: A New Wardrobe
231 words
The wind on the balcony had been cold, but for the first time in three years, I wasn't cold because of the weather. I was cold because my coat was threadbare.
That ended today.
I went to a department store downtown—not the discount bin I usually trawled. I bought a thick wool coat, waterproof boots, and three pairs of jeans that didn't have patches. The feeling of swiping a debit card without holding my breath was intoxicating. The debt payoff was already automatic; the hospitals had been paid in full this morning.
My last stop was the diner. I pulled up in a rental car, a sensible sedan, but new.
My boss, Greg, wiped his greasy hands on his apron when I walked in. He had seen the news. His face was pale.
"Sarah!" he stammered, forcing a smile. "I... I heard. Look, about the shifts last week, I was stressed. We're family here, right?"
I looked at the scuff marks on the floor where I’d scrubbed until my knees bled. I looked at Mary, the 60-year-old waitress with arthritis, carrying a heavy tray.
"I'm buying the building, Greg," I said. "I secured the small business loan aimed at ownership transition this morning."
Greg's jaw dropped. "You... what?"
"Mary is the new manager. Everyone gets a ten-dollar raise. And you," I pointed to the door, "are fired."
End of Chapter 28
