Free All In by Molly Bryant

through,” I said gently, hoping not to make her upset.
    “Please,” she huffed, wiping her eyes with the back of her hand. “What would someone like you know about losing your home?”
    “Mom!” Vice yelled. I squeezed his hand letting him know I was okay and to let it go.
    “I know what it’s like to lose your home, Miss. Jackson, I do. My mother died five years ago when I was eighteen, and after squatting as long as I could because my father refused to pay the mortgage for such a large home when it was me and just my brother, the sheriffs came and removed me from my moms house. They had to restrain me as I kicked, screamed, and cried not wanting to leave the memories that were made there, but in all reality it was the best change I could have ever made. I moved on, and a fresh start is what I needed. It helped me move on from the loss of my mother, and if I never came here, I wouldn’t have met your son,” I slowly placed my hand on top of hers. Shockingly, she didn’t pull away from me. She turned her fragile, shaky hand and grabbed mine, squeezing tightly. “And, well… maybe, a change is what you need, Miss. Jackson. Sometimes what is best for us, doesn’t seem to be the best at first. I promise you… in the long run, it all makes sense.”
    I felt Vice’s eyes on me. I looked over at him and it looked like he was going into cardiac arrest. I smiled at him when my heart started to race, it felt like it were going to explode as I was scared to say the wrong this to his mom and piss her off. I looked away from Vice and across the kitchen as it hit me. Vice’s words that he was speaking to his mother were becoming a distant echo in my ears as I started to panic. Without noticing, I stood up from the table and headed toward the door.
    “Harlow, where are you going?” Vice snapped me out of my thoughts.
    I closed my eyes for a moment before turning around. “My phone, someone is calling me. I’ll be right back if you would excuse me,” I smiled, trying to play off my panic.
    “Just walk in when you’re done, babe,” he smiled back.
    “I’ll be right back,” I hurried outside.
    I stopped at the foot of the trailer in front of Vice’s car. “Fucking bastard!” I kicked the dirt, the dust covering my red painted toe nails. I looked back to the trailer and walked a few feet away dialing my brothers number on my cell phone.
    “What, Harlow?” he sighed. “Can’t this wait until tomorrow?”
    “No, Chase, it can’t,” I growled. “You bought the property that Vice’s mother lives on,”
    “Yes I did,” I could hear the smile in his voice. “And?”
    “You raised the rent to fifteen hundred dollars a month for this place!? Have you seriously lost your fucking mind, Chase!? These tenants can’t afford that!” I was frantically pacing the dirt field in the middle of the trailer park.
    “Ah, sounds like you must be visiting his drug busted whore of a mother. I didn’t know you slummed it, Sis. And no, actually I bought it because in the next few months we will be breaking ground on the new casino, sweet cheeks,” It just so happens to be where Vice’s mom lives… coincidence? I think not.
    “You mean to tell me out of the entire Vegas Nevada area, that this trailer park is the only place to build the casino on?” I gritted my teeth.
    “Nope, but it is the best given the circumstances with Vice.” he sighed. “His mom living there is just one of the many perks, Harlow.”
    “Fuck you, Chase.” I hung up the phone, shoving it in the back pocket of my jean skirt.
    I walked toward the front door of his mom’s trailer. I will make her confident in leaving. I refuse to let his mother fall victim to my brothers petty bullshit games.
    I walked in with a smile on my face and sat back down in my chair next to Vice, across from his mom.
    “Everything alright?” he asked, placing his hand on my thigh.
    “Yup, couldn’t be better,” I smiled. It was going to be more than better, I will