Two Weeks Later, Lottery Regional Office, Newport News, Va.:
Maria, Vincent, and their attorney Jessica Webb were sitting across from the lottery official at his office. Maria had her face covered because she was still recovering from pneumonia and didn’t want to pass on her cold. It wasn’t as bad as it had been, but she was still feeling some of the effects.

Maria wears latex gloves as a preventive measure. She had layered them on, so she could remove them when one broke. She apologized to the lottery official beforehand and explained why she was wearing her mask and gloves.

By the time the official signing of the winnings was done and the split between her and Vincent was taken care of. Maria, Vincent, and Jessica Webb all walk out and go their separate ways. Maria and Vincent stop at the Golden Peacock and pick up some lunch to take back to their place. Vincent had taken several days off from work and was planning on giving his two weeks’ notice.

Vincent and Maria are eating their lunch, when Vincent looks at Maria.

“Have you informed your grandparents yet?” Vincent knew Maria was close to her grandparents. In the past two weeks they have come by the
apartment and checked up on Maria and brought homemade chicken soup and other items Maria liked.

“Not yet. I want to do it at their house during a fancy dinner. I was thinking about asking you to make or ordering it from Uncle Louie’s and picking it up.” Maria knew Vincent was the better cook among the two of them.

“I don’t mind cooking it for you. What are you going to do while I’m cooking?”

“I’ll take my grandparents out or something. I’m still working on that part. I did talk to Mr. Cain and told him I wanted to buy the store, but I don’t want him to tell Tom or Barbara I own the store. I want them to continue running the store, until I learn everything about it from Mrs. Cain. I’m also thinking about taking a business course online so I’ll know how to run the store more effectively.” Maria takes a bite of her lunch.

“How about your operation? Are you going to have it?” Vincent knew Maria hated her birth defect.

“I’m thinking about doing it next year. I want to go ahead and get everything lined up first.” Maria knew a few changes she was going to make at the store.

Since Mr. Cain wasn’t going to be working there anymore. They were going to be short a full time technician. Also, since she was going to be busy as well, she was going to visit some of the technical schools in the area and hire two part time students.

Also, she and Vincent had spoken about it, and they agreed that rent was too high for most of the tenants in the two apartment buildings and theirs. So, they were going to buy them, but use a management company to handle the day to day operations of the buildings.

They planned on doing some renovations to the empty apartments and for those apartments that still had tenants living in them. They would pay for them to stay at a nearby hotel while work was going on or let them move into the apartments they made renovations too.

That way they remain anonymous and not be bothered by the tenants. However, they wanted to be included in any problems or complaints that crept up. They planned on to keep paying rent as well. It was already setup in a joint account to be paid every month, just like all their combined bills. They contribute money to the account each pay day.

They can put money into the account, but not take any money out. It was used strictly to pay their bills. Both of them add money to the account from their winnings. This way they don’t have to remember about doing it later.

Maria donates money to the local animal shelter to help them out and to several homeless shelters. She knew Vincent was setting up a fund for cooks and restaurant personnel that were having financial problems. She donates money to an organization that helps people with aids and provides counseling services to transgender and gay people.

Maria goes to the store when she is feeling better to buy groceries for the dinner she wants Vincent to cook for her grandparents. She is informed by her grandmother that the aircraft carrier her mother is stationed on will be docking in a few days. She has always been there when her mother came into port. She wonders if her mother is going to ever retire from the Navy or take a shore assignment.

Maria informs her grandmother that she’ll go with her and her grandpa to welcome her mother home. Since things are slow at the moment at the store, Maria planned on taking a few days off. She already used up all her sick leave and a few vacation days.

She lets Tom and Barbara know, just in case something comes in that needs immediate attention. She informs them that she would still be in town. She’ll also will work half a day, on the day the aircraft carrier her mother is stationed on docks.