My brothers-in-law and sister-in-law sat around the dining table, sipping coffee, going through Fiona’s minimal bank statements, and complaining about the funeral expenses.
“She barely had eight hundred dollars in her checking account,” my eldest brother-in-law grumbled, shaking his head. “We’re going to have to split the burial costs four ways. Mabel, you and my brother need to cover your share.”
I stood by the doorway, holding a warm cup of tea, perfectly calm.
“Mom left something behind,” I said quietly.
My sister-in-law let out a sharp, dismissive laugh. “What? That torn pillow you were hugging like a child last night?”
“No,” I replied, pulling the antique brass key and the certified trust document from my apron pocket. “She left the deeds to forty acres of commercial land near the Columbus highway bypass.”
The entire room went dead silent.
My eldest brother-in-law froze, his coffee cup suspended halfway to his mouth. “What are you talking about? Mom didn’t own any commercial land! The family farm was liquidated twenty years ago!”
