"Don't be so hard on yourself." Greg patted her shoulder. "These things happen."
It was easy for him to say. He had early retirement benefits coming in. The others were homeless without her.
"I'm going to go hang up the notice and then lock the doors." She blinked to keep the tears at bay.
They'd already turned off the lights in the gym and shut off the boiler. The building was paid for with the life insurance from her mom. But she couldn't gather enough money to cover the day-to-day expenses for the shelter.
She opened the door. The others slipped out onto the sidewalk, leaving with their heads down. She hung the notice and sniffed. It wasn't only her employees she had let down. Each night, fifty adults used the shelter to escape the streets. Now, they had nowhere to go.
In two months, night temperatures would drop drastically. In three months, there would be snow on the ground. So many people would die from the elements if they didn't find a way to get indoors.
Her knuckle scraped against the brick exterior. She sobbed, using the slight discomfort as an excuse to release the pain building inside her. There had to be more she could do.
Tonight, she'd research grants until she found some money.
She stood back and hugged her middle. This was all her fault.
If she hadn't prioritized her private life over her business, she might have avoided closing the shelter. She wasn't blaming anyone but herself.
Making sure the door was locked, she walked down the block, picking up her step. She had no time to waste.
Behind her, a car followed slowly. She glanced over her shoulder. Antonio was a constant shadow, but even he wouldn't stop her from doing what she had to do.
At her car, she hopped in and drove home.
Serge would be at his office until six o'clock. She'd call afterward to let him know what had happened and her plans to fix the situation. For now, if she rushed, she'd have four hours to sift through the grants offered by the state. Homelessness was a significant problem in Spokane. Many non-profit organizations were doing their best to solve the issue. Without help, though, none of them would survive.
As she approached the house, Mrs. Sullivan from next door walked out onto her porch and waved. She crossed the lawn.
"How are you doing, Mrs. Sullivan?" she asked.
"I'm having a good day." Mrs. Sullivan wagged her finger at Aubrey. "You have too many men hanging around your house."
She looked behind her. Antonio parked out on the street.
"He's my...my boyfriend's friend." She blew out her breath.
Why was it hard to explain her relationship with Serge? They were together. Obviously, he was her boyfriend. Though, nobody would ever look at Serge and call him boyfriend material. He was too sexy. Too rich. Too dominating.
"If you say so, dear."
She walked backward, heading toward her house. "I need to go inside and work."
"Don't work too much. You're young. Enjoy life," yelled Mrs. Sullivan.
"I'll try." She ducked inside and shut the door.
Kicking off her shoes, she went to her desk and powered on her computer.
Her cell rang. She looked at the screen and connected the call. "Serge?"
"Why are you at home?"
"I need my computer to work." She sat down in the chair. "I had to close the shelter today. I've run out of money for supplies."
"Stay there. I'm heading that way now."
"No, no, no." She sat up straighter. "Seriously, Serge. I need time to work. Stay there, and I'll talk to you when your day is over, and we can decide if I'm coming to your house or if I'm pulling an all-nighter. Between now and then, I'm going to wade through the grants to see if the shelter qualifies for anything offered." When he never replied, she looked at the screen of her phone. "He disconnected the call."
