AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“I—I don't know what to say. I'm shocked, to say the least.”
Mr. Lee smiles warmly at me. “I understand, Miss Carter. It's a lot to take in. But I have a feeling your grandmother would be very proud of you and whatever you'll do with the property and house. And now, if you'll excuse me, I have another appointment to attend to. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions or concerns.”
I stand up, still in a daze, and reach across the table to shake Mr. Lee's outstretched hand. “Thank you again.”
He inclines his head toward me and gestures toward the door parallel to the table. “If you don't mind, Janet will walk you out.”
“Oh, of course.”
Janet, the receptionist, opens the door as if she was magically summoned.
I pause at the threshold. “I do have one question if you don't mind.”
He looks at me expectantly, a smile still firmly in place. “Yes?”
“Do you know why she made everyone wait a year to hear her will?”
He takes his glasses off, tucks the arms behind the lenses, and places them on the table in front of him. “It is my understanding that she wanted to give a grace period . . . for certain people to comply with her stipulations. And she wanted to ensure her wishes were carried out without any interference.”
I nod slowly, processing all the things he isn't saying.
“Thank you, Mr. Lee.”
I exit the room, still feeling like I'm walking on clouds. Nothing permanent under my feet and struggling to stay tethered to the ground. The weight of uncertainty has been lifted with just a handful of words on a piece of paper, and suddenly the future feels bright with endless possibilities.
A house.
I have ahouse.
And not just any house, but Nana Jo's house. The one that holds so, so many memories. I can picture myself sitting on the front porch swing, sipping lemonade out of old mason jars and reading a really good book.
Or dancing around her kitchen while baking my favorite pumpkin muffins.
My kitchen now, I guess.
I'm so lost in my thoughts that I walk right past the small waiting room off the hallway.
“Eve?”
I turn to see Cora jogging up to me. She's got that crazy sort of twinkle in her eye that always clues me into her excitement.
“Cora.” I pull her into a quick hug on impulse. “How was it?”
She pulls back, keeping her hands on my biceps. She looks at me then, her gaze jumping all around my face. She's only a couple of inches taller than me, but she looks so similar, sometimes it's like looking at myself in an alternate reality.
“Holy fucking shit, Eve,” she whisper-shouts, her fingers tightening their grip on my biceps.
“What? What happened?”
“Nana Jo left me a trust with fifty grand in it. Fifty. Thousand. Dollars,” she crows the last few words, her voice rising with excitement and awe.
“Oh my god!” I yelp as she crushes me to her for another hug.
“And I have to use it for my bakery. Can you believe that?” Her voice is muffled as she jostles us around in her wonder and joy.
“That's—that'samazing,” I breathe out the last word and join in on the weird hopping, swaying hug we're in the middle of. “How come you didn't tell me you wanted to start your own bakery?”
She pulls back and looks at me. Her cheeks are pink, but there's a brightness in her expression I haven't seen in years. “I don't know. It was just this pipe dream for as long as I could remember. Something I would casually dream about. I guess she was listening, huh?”
