Page 101 of Unless It's You
“I told you a lot already! And if I can find love, you can too, Maddie. Your time will come.”
Maddie dropped out of college and has gone from one restaurant job to another for the past decade, always employed, but never truly happy. I hope this inheritance gives her a chance to really figure things out for herself. She’s also the most disastrous in love. She falls fast and hard, and constantly makes bad decisions, like always dating or hooking up with people she works with. Never a good idea. It messes with her jobs as well as her emotional stability.
I silently cackle as I recognize the irony in me criticizing dating coworkers, as I just had a whirlwind romance with a client.
Maddie shrugs and her face falls. “Whatever. Who needs love?”
“Mads, tell us about your list,” Reese prompts.
Our youngest sister brightens. “I’m basically changing my entire life because of Aunt Evelyn.” She laughs, and my eyes widen. “The first item was to make a plan on how the inheritance would build my future. So... I quit my job.”
Reese and I both gasp.
“I’m going to enroll in a hospitality course that starts in October. I’ll figure out what to do from there.”
“October? What will you do between now and then?” I’m thrilled she quit her restaurant job. Shitty benefits, shitty hours, and no chance for a real social life besides dating waiters or cooks or bartenders, and, at least once, her manager.
“The second and third items are kind of connected and explain what I’ll be doing. Aunt Evelyn said I needed to book a vacation, a real one, and also volunteer for something. So, I’m leaving in a few weeks for a month in Saint Lucia, where I’m going to volunteer for Helping Build Homes. They’re a nonprofit. You guys have heard of them, I’m sure.”
My jaw drops open, and a quick glance at Reese shows a similar expression.
“Holy shit, Maddie, I’m impressed,” Reese says.
Maddie blushes and continues. “Two more. I had to go to Aunt Evelyn’s favorite spot in New York City—the top of the Empire State Building—and see if I could find her. I did. Just like you, Stella.”
“I don’t want to butt in, but I might as well add that I had a similar item,” Reese says. “I went hiking in the Ramapo Mountains in Jersey to find her. It worked for me, too.”
We all sit in silence for a few seconds, feeling Evelyn’s love and connection flow through us.
“Last one,” Maddie continues. “I needed to do something significant for Stella, so I set up a shared bucket list and photo sharing site. It’s really for all of us to keep more in touch. There’s a great app for it.”
“That’s awesome, I love it,” I say.
“Agree. That will be wonderful,” Reese says. “My turn. You already heard one, and the next was to do something significant for Maddie. It was my offer to have you live with us, Mads, although you didn’t tell me why you needed a place to stay temporarily. I would’ve been happy to have you no matter what.”
“Our great-aunt was so sneaky.” Maddie has a big smile on her face. “And staying with you will let me travel and do the hospitality program without wasting money on rent.”
“It’s perfect. I’m glad it works out.” Reese smiles. “I had to volunteer as well, so I not only took Aunt Evelyn’s cat, Simba—Peanut Butter is not impressed so far—but I signed up to volunteer at the animal shelter she loved so much. You know, the one she was going to donate all her money to if we screwed up.”
We laugh.
“Another item was to do something only for me. I took the next step to opening my own website design side hustle by setting up the website, the LLC, and put a basic marketing plan together. A little bit of cheating, as I was already going to do that. But it’ll work.”
“I won’t judge you for a little cheating.” I shake my head. “Sometimes that’s just necessary.”
“Finally, she wanted me to schedule a trip in the future with the two of you.”
“Ohhh,” I say, loving the glint in her eye.
“I’ve decided that next summer, before the wedding, I want to do a road trip through Ireland.”
Maddie gasps.
“Ireland? Amazing,” I say.
“Yup. Oliver’s best friend and old soccer teammate, Patrick, lives in Dingle, which is in the south of Ireland, a gorgeous seaside town, apparently. And I’ve always wanted to go. Get ready for it, ladies.”
“I am ready.” I nod enthusiastically. “Maddie?”
