Chapter 10 - The Eviction Notice
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The storm that had been brewing over Willow Creek finally broke on Thursday afternoon.
When Laura arrived home from her morning shift at the diner, she found a white paper notice taped directly to her front door. The red ink at the top was bold and unmistakable: NOTICE TO VACATE.
Her hands trembled as she pulled the paper from the wood.
The house had been owned for thirty years by an elderly woman named Martha Gable, who had rented it to Laura for three hundred dollars a month. But Martha had passed away in August, and her nephew—Richard Vance—had taken over the estate.
The notice stated that the property had been sold to a commercial developer and that Laura and Rosie had fourteen days to pack their belongings and leave.
Fourteen days. In the middle of October. With less than two hundred dollars in her bank account.
Laura collapsed onto the small wooden porch steps, clutching the white paper against her chest, the cold autumn wind whipping her dark hair across her face. There were no other affordable rentals in Willow Creek. The nearest low-income apartments were in the city thirty miles away, and her old truck—even with its new alternator—would never make that daily commute.
"Mom?"
Rosie stepped out onto the porch, wearing her new forest green wool dress from the red ribbon box. She looked down at her mother with wide, anxious eyes.
"What's that paper?" Rosie asked softly.
Laura quickly folded the notice and shoved it into her coat pocket, forcing a bright, reassuring smile onto her face.
"Nothing, sweetie," Laura lied, reaching up to take Rosie's small hand. "Just a letter from the landlord. Go inside and finish your reading, okay? It's getting cold."
Rosie didn't move. She looked at her mother's pale face, then looked down the long dirt road leading toward the main highway.
May you like
"Is Mr. Caldwell coming today?" Rosie asked quietly.
"No, Rosie," Laura said, her voice dropping into a tired whisper. "Mr. Caldwell has his own life. We have to figure this out ourselves."
