Page 11 of Key West Promises

"Nice save," Connie commented as she passed by. "You're getting better at this." Coming from Connie, it was high praise indeed.

As if summoned by her thoughts, Kaitlyn appeared in the doorway, her sundress fluttering slightly in the breeze.

The contrast between her fresh, put-together appearance and the bar's cheerful chaos was striking. She spotted Tess and waved, weaving her way through the crowd with the kind of youthful confidence Tess envied. Even the Ava's Last Fling crew paused their celebration to watch her pass.

"What are you doing here? Why aren’t you out having fun?" Tess asked as Kaitlyn reached the bar. "Shouldn't you be out enjoying your night?" She gestured to the growing crowd of twenty-somethings gathering near the karaoke machine.

"I just came to say hi," Kaitlyn said, sliding onto one of the barstools. Her perfectly styled hair and careful makeup seemed at odds with the excitement in her eyes. "Plus, I wanted to tell you about my visit to Paradise Harbor House this morning."

"How did it go?" Tess asked, genuinely curious. She mixed a mojito on autopilot while keeping her attention on her niece. The change in Kaitlyn over the past twenty-four hours had been subtle but noticeable—like watching a script being rewritten in real time.

"Really well," Kaitlyn said, her face lighting up in a way that had nothing to do with the bar's neon signs. "I met with Elena Armstrong and she has some ideas where I can volunteer. We talked about a lot of things and she even introduced me to some people who are living there. You should see the inside. It’s the coziest home. I mean it’s a big house, but it still manages to seem small and welcoming. It’s like going to visit at your grandmother’s house. There's this little girl, Maria, and her mom. They're staying there because they had nowhere else to go after leaving a bad situation. Maria's only five, but she's so sweet. She showed me her collection of seashells—she keeps them in an old shoebox and knows all their names."

Tess's smile softened. "Sounds like a great place to volunteer." She remembered their own early days in Key West when everything had seemed possible. Maybe it still was, just not in the way they'd expected.

"I hope so," Kaitlyn said. She hesitated, her fingers tracing the edge of a napkin. "I was thinking about asking Elena if I could help with their communications. You know, social media, marketing, that kind of thing. It's what I studied, so maybe I could actually put my degree to use."

"That's a great idea," Tess said immediately, recognizing the spark of genuine passion in her niece's voice. "You're a natural at that stuff."

"Thanks," Kaitlyn said, her cheeks pinking slightly. "I'm nervous, though. I don't want to mess it up. This isn't like posting vacation photos or sorority events. These are real people with real stories."

Before Tess could respond, Leah appeared, her tray now empty but her shirt sporting a new stain. "What's this about messing up?"

"Kaitlyn's thinking about helping Paradise Harbor House with their marketing," Tess explained, already reaching for the soda gun to fill another order.

Leah's eyebrows lifted. "That's ambitious." Her tone carried the same cautious assessment she'd once used in board meetings.

"It's also something she's good at," Tess said pointedly.

Leah folded her arms, glancing at Kaitlyn. "Well, if you're serious about it, I say go for it. The worst that can happen is you learn something from the experience." A ghost of a smile crossed her face. "Heaven knows we've learned plenty from our experiences in Key West.”

"Thanks," Kaitlyn said. "I'll talk to Elena tomorrow."

“So, what else have you been up to?” Leah asked.

“Well, after my visit with Elena, I went on a tour at the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum. That was pretty cool. Did you know there are about sixty cats living there? They were everywhere. I petted a few that were friendly, but a few didn’t want me to touch them. Right now, I thought I’d go check out the fish tacos at Seven Fish. My guidebook says they’re really good. Then, I guess I’ll head home.” She dangled the house key in the air. “I’ve got my key. I’ll catch up with you guys later.”

Tess watched as another group of tourists stumbled through the door as Kaitlyn headed out.

The night wore on, a blur of drink orders and tourist stories. Before Kaitlyn left Tess found herself watching her niece as she sat at the bar, occasionally chatting with customers but mostly observing everything with new eyes. She wasn't just seeing potential photo opportunities anymore—she was seeing stories, connections, possibilities.

By the time their shift ended, the crowd had thinned, leaving behind only a few die-hard karaoke fans and a table of locals playing cards in the corner. The Linda's Last Fling group had departed hours ago, their matching shirts now adorned with various drink stains and their designated driver herding them into waiting cabs.

Tess and Leah wiped down tables, their energy drained but their spirits surprisingly high. The sticky floors seemed less annoying somehow, the karaoke less grating. Tess thought maybe they were finally finding their rhythm in this unexpected chapter of their lives.

"You know," Tess said as she stacked chairs, their legs squeaking against the floor, "Kaitlyn's got more focus than I gave her credit for."

Leah nodded. "She's surprising me too. I didn't expect her to take an interest in something like Paradise Harbor House. I thought we'd be spending our days off chaperoning beach parties."

"Maybe she's just figuring out what matters to her," Tess said. "Kind of like we are." She paused to rescue a forgotten phone from under a table, making a mental note to add it to Connie's lost and found collection.

Leah gave her a look. "You think working here is us figuring things out?"

"I think it's a step," Tess said with a shrug. "And sometimes that's all you need. Remember when we first got here? We thought we'd be running sunset cruises and teaching beach yoga by now."

"Instead, we're mixing margaritas and cleaning up after spring breakers," Leah said, but there was more amusement than bitterness in her tone.

"At least we're doing it together," Tess pointed out. "And hey, we haven't had any more brilliant business ideas in four days. That's progress, right?"

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