IanG

The twist is good and took me by surprise. Just one thing, a twist needs to be prepared for without giving too much away. If your narrator says, while making up, that she seldom gets a chance to relax or have fun it implies that she has a tough job. If as you imply she goes undercover in dangerous situations, it anticipates the twist but holds some information back. Keep it up.

You could've told us more about what you and Charlie did together, games you played, music you listened to and so on. That would be a more subtle way of showing his character. That said, there are good descriptive passages here and the nostalga is heartfelt. Many people will relate to the theme of a warm but lost friendship.

I'm glad Wolf made it in the end.
I'd have put a little more suspense in the opening blurb. I'd have put 'will he turn his life around?' instead of saying he does. The actual story is good.

You strike a good balance between crisp, realistic descriptions and a touch of mystery.

It was tense and convincing.
Just one thing, in Britain the lifeboat would turn out even in a storm. Perhaps its different in Florida on account of storms being more intense, but in Britain people sometimes think they wouldn't launch a lifeboat in a storm, and they do. Even professionals don't always find casualties on dark nights, but they try.

Thanks for sharing it, I found it amusing.

You convey well how, as she grows up a bit, she becomes more aware of a wider world beyond her own home.
With the mushrooms, are you trying to show that she's a nature lover with a deep knowledge of her environment? As to how necessary it is, that depends on whether a deep knowledge of nature is important in a later episode. It also depends on what you and your readers are interested it. We don't all like the same things.

You could cut 'by any stretch of the imagination' and still convey the essential point. Nonetheless its a good portrayal of a man too proud to ask for help. Our culture puts a lot of pressure on us to be perfect but few if any of us are.