Free The Windfall by Ellie Danes, Lily Knight

expression softened, and she clasped her hands in front of her. “But I know something is going on. What can I do to help?”
    Mom looked at me sideways and then cleared her throat. She apparently had been expecting the question from her sister right off the bat. “Maybe we should go inside.”
    “Of course!” Aunt Sophie replied, linking arms with Mom and directing her into the house. “I’m so not the good hostess, hitting you up with the hard questions immediately without a thought to all the traveling you have just done! I have some nice sweet tea and cookies ready for you. You two must be tired from that plane ride. I swear flying takes all of my energy!”
    I allowed them to walk a little in front of me as I took in the sights of the house, marveling at the stucco walls that mimicked the exterior and the glistening panes of the colorful stained glass windows. This was something I would have designed myself if given some paper and some time to think. Maybe I would take advantage of this newfound freedom and go back to school now. It would give me something to focus on while completing a childhood dream of mine. It wasn’t frivolous spending; it was securing my future.
    As I stepped over the threshold, I was blown away by the vaulted ceilings and travertine tile flooring. Not to mention the entire house smelled like the ocean, the crisp saltiness of the air drifting in through open windows. Aunt Sophie had done well for herself.
    “I’m so glad it’s such a pretty day for you both to be here,” Aunt Sophie remarked as she showed us into the living room. I was instantly in awe of the ocean view. “We’ve had our share of ugly weather as of late. You should hear it when it rains, though. I still haven’t gotten used to being in this house when the rain hits. But enough about the weather. Come on, have a seat so we can talk.”
    I made myself comfortable in a cream-colored plush chair, settling in with a sigh of contentment. It was so much better than the airplane seats. While we did fly coach, I had bought three seats in a row to allow for plenty of room for me and Mom. I had booked coach for a reason, though. If anyone were to look at my faded T-shirt and worn jeans, they would never see the billionaire underneath. That was the plan for the time being anyway. Blend in.
    “Your house is lovely, Fifi,” my mom replied as she took a seat next to her sister. “You must be very proud of this place and all that you have accomplished.”
    “I am, of course,” Aunt Sophie responded as she doled out the glasses of tea and some cookies before settling back on the couch that matched my chair, her keen eyes assessing us both. “It’s taken me quite a while to get here, but it’s all been worth it to be able to wake up to this view every morning.” She squinted at each of us curiously and puckered one side of her mouth. “So, what’s going on? Which one of you wants to start this story?”
    “We’ve run into some trouble,” Mom started, just like we had rehearsed over and over on the plane ride. I had anticipated that Aunt Sophie wasn’t going to welcome us in with open arms without being a little suspicious that something was wrong. If she were anything like Mom, she would ask questions until she was satisfied that she knew what was going on. Mom continued, “The neighborhood has gotten far too dangerous for us to stay in, and we just needed to get away. We needed someplace to think things through and, since we hadn’t come out to visit you yet, it seemed like a logical choice. I hope you don’t mind us intruding on you and Bill like this.”
    “Well, of course, it was the right choice,” Aunt Sophie declared, some of the curiosity disappearing from her gaze. I felt a hint of relief rush through me. I didn’t need any extra questions until I could figure out some things for myself. “And you did the right thing, Gillie. I have always worried about ya’ll living in that neighborhood. Coming to see