The next morning brought a new problem. A parent called to say Jiselle had contacted several families directly, offering discounted memberships at her planned club. She said the gym might close at any moment and encouraged them to enroll before the offer expired. For some families, the offer sounded sensible. A child needed a place to train and a promise of a discount mattered more than a fight over a lease. Holly could not blame anyone for considering it. She also could not let a rumor of closure become the reason the gym lost the very community that made it worth saving. She called the parents, explained that no final decision had been made, and shared the clerk’s written receipt confirming the transfer was under review. She did not ask them to reject Jiselle’s club. She asked them to wait for the board’s answer before treating the gym as already gone. That afternoon, the carpenter inspected the furnace. He found a failing part and a clogged vent. The repair would cost more than Holly had available. The temporary heaters could keep the room usable for a short time, but they could not safely carry the whole building through cold weather. The news landed hard. The lease might survive, and the gym might still close.
Holly sat at the desk with the estimate. It was lower than replacing the entire system, but high enough to swallow the money she had hoped to use for rent. She called the supplier to ask whether the repair could be delayed. The answer was no. The part had to be ordered and payment was due before installation. When the parents heard, their offers became specific. One family could cover part of the repair. A local hardware store would donate supplies if the gym could provide a receipt through a community group. The carpenter agreed to do the work at a reduced rate. It was not enough yet, but the numbers were beginning to move in the right direction. Then the board’s office called. The proposed transfer had been placed under review, but the board could not decide until it received the complete agreement and verified the required approval. Jiselle had been asked to provide the missing material. Until that happened, no final transfer could be recorded. Holly asked what that meant for the deadline. The clerk said the board had not ordered the gym to leave. She could not promise what the board would decide after the documents arrived. Holly thanked her and wrote down every word. It was the first clear answer the gym had received. Jiselle could still complete the paperwork. She could still persuade the board that the transfer was valid, but her deadline was no longer the town’s decision, and the room had not legally changed hands.
