million.
She gave both Mae and Ronnie more hugs, along with a garbled apology about leaving early. She would make it up to them. Buy them a new freezer and some real plants. She believed in paying her debts, and now, finally, she could.
Luck seemed to be with her still, because Will’s old Chevette started on the third try, and it only stalled once before she could put it into gear and pull out of the parking lot. She would buy her brother a new car, or better yet, one of those big, manly pickups she’d seen him ogling. She could get a new minivan for Jenny that had built-in TV screens to entertain the kids and would be large enough to hold their growing brood. She could provide cars for each of the boys when they were old enough to drive. While she was at it, she could get one for herself. Nothing sensible or conservative like the black Beemer that had been repossessed last fall. No, this time she would get something fun. Bright and shiny, maybe even red, like that future that was dangling in front of her.
A horn blared. Amelia had no idea how long she had been sitting at the green light, dreaming about new cars. With a jaunty wave to the driver behind her, she started forward. The summer tourist season was in full swing. There was more traffic than usual in Port Hope’s historic downtown. Located an easy hour’s drive along Lake Ontario from Toronto, it was a popular destination for day-trippers seeking a break from the city. Luckily—there was that word again—the congestion thinned quickly once she coaxed the Chevette into doing the climb up Walton Street. Within minutes, she had left the old brick and quaint shops of the heritage district behind.
Will and Jenny’s neighborhood was a fair distance from the river and the lakeshore. It wasn’t on the route of the self-guided tours that were marked on the town maps. By today’s standards, the houses were small and plain. Most were one-and-a-half-story boxes that had been tossed up in a hurry more than sixty years ago during the post-war baby boom. Some had been customized with expanded porches, or extra rooms in the attic, but there was no disguising their humble pedigree. The properties that came up for sale didn’t remain on the market for long, though. The area was close to schools, the streets were quiet enough for road hockey any season of the year, and the houses were within the budget of young families.
But her family wouldn’t need to worry about budgets anymore, would they?
A sedan she didn’t recognize was parked at the side of the road in front of her brother’s house. A pair of strangers in sandals and matching turquoise, Hawaiian-style printed shirts moved among open cardboard boxes that were arrayed on the lawn. Closer to the front steps there stood a few chrome-and-vinyl chairs, an old brass plant stand and the exercise bike that had been stored in the basement. Amelia nosed into the driveway. Her way was blocked by a metal-legged card table displaying knickknacks and rows of paperback books.
She had forgotten about the yard sale. Jenny had started it yesterday. She’d claimed she wanted to clean out the basement this weekend, since Will was constructing an extra bedroom plus a playroom for the boys down there. Amelia suspected the primary reason for the yard sale was to raise extra cash. The closer Jenny got to her due date, the more nervous she became about their finances.
But she wouldn’t need to worry anymore, would she? And Will wouldn’t need to build any extra rooms, because Amelia would buy them a house big enough to hold everyone, no matter how many more babies they produced.
This just kept getting better and better, didn’t it? Amelia got out of the car and practically skipped up the driveway. She was giddy with the possibilities that continued to pop into her mind.
Her sister-in-law sat on a lawn chair in the shade of the maple beside the driveway. Strands of dark hair had escaped from her ponytail and drooped against her cheeks. A faded Argos T-shirt that had once belonged to Will stretched over her pregnant belly. She bore little resemblance to the delicate woman with the sparkling brown eyes who had married Amelia’s big brother fifteen years ago. Jenny was a nurturer, and like many women in her position, she tended to put her family’s needs ahead of her own. Riding herd on three boys—four, if she counted Will—had taken their toll.
One of the first things Amelia was going to do once she cashed in the ticket would be to treat Jenny to a spa day. Or make it a week. Get her a new wardrobe, get Will one, too, then send them on a cruise as a second honeymoon.
Jenny’s brow furrowed as Amelia approached. “What’s wrong? Why aren’t you at work?”
She rocked back and forth from her heels to her toes. There was so much she wanted to say, so many promises she was finally able to make, the words were getting dammed up behind her grin. She savored the moment. “I’ve got some news.”
“You didn’t quit, did you?”
Amelia laughed. She hadn’t officially said the words. She’d been too stunned. But there was no reason to continue waiting tables now. “Not yet, but I will.”
“How much do you want for this?”
The Hawaiian-shirt couple had moved to the edge of the driveway. The man pointed to the plant stand he held.
“Thirty dollars,” Jenny replied.
“There’s some corrosion on the leg here. I’ll give you ten.”
“It’s an antique. Fifteen.”
“Don’t quibble, honey,” his companion said. “It’s already a bargain.”
“All right, fifteen.”
Jenny reached for the small plastic storage container beside her chair. It held a substantial layer of coins plus a surprising number of bills. She took the man’s twenty, gave him a five for his change, and carefully snapped the lid closed.
Forget savoring the moment. Amelia couldn’t contain herself. As soon as the couple loaded their purchase into the sedan at the curb and pulled away, she blurted it out. “I won the lottery.”
“Why would you quit that job?” Jenny asked at the same time. “I realize it didn’t pay much, but I thought you were happy that Mae...” She paused. “What did you say?”
“I won Lotto 6/49.”
“Sure. Pull the other one.”
“No, really, I did win. That’s my news. I came home as soon as I found out.” She waved her arm toward the items on the lawn. “You don’t need to have this yard sale. With my winnings—”
“Seriously? You actually won something?”
“I won the jackpot. More than fifty-two million.”
Instead of smiling, Jenny’s lips trembled. “I don’t find that funny, Amelia.”
“I’m not joking.”
“But...”
She tugged her sister-in-law to her feet and bent her knees to bring their faces level. “I’m not joking,” she repeated. “I really did win.”
It took a few seconds to sink in. Amelia understood the reaction, because she had trouble grasping this new reality herself. Repeated disappointments had a way of doing that to a person. After so much bad news, it became easier not to even hope for good.
Jenny’s smile blossomed slowly, like a flower bud finally exposed to the sun. Her cheeks dimpled. The lines worry had etched on her face lifted into traces left by old laughter.
