When Grandma passed away, I truly believed the farm would be mine. I had poured my soul into it—waking before sunrise, working through blisters and sunburn, and sharing warm laughter under the porch light. But during the will reading, everything changed. My cousin Felicity, who treated the farm as nothing more than a photo-op, inherited it all. All I received was a letter—and temporary rights to stay.
Felicity beamed with excitement, already whispering plans to sell the land. To her, it was just real estate. I barely registered the lawyer’s voice as he handed me an envelope with Grandma’s familiar handwriting. Inside was a letter that stung—and soothed. It revealed that Grandma hadn’t left me out after all. She had a plan.
The farm couldn’t be sold as long as I lived there, and a second part of the will would be revealed in three months. I didn’t know why she had made it a test. But I couldn’t walk away. I took a leave of absence from my city job and asked Felicity for the keys. She handed them over with a smirk, convinced I’d give up soon.
Farm life wasn’t easy. Every task tested me. The early mornings, the relentless chores, the quiet that forced me to face my doubts. But the animals, especially Daisy the cow, reminded me I belonged. The broken fences I repaired felt like pieces of myself I was putting back together.
Mr. Harris, our neighbor, became a lifeline. He offered tools, shared stories about Grandma, and taught me practical skills. One day, as we worked side by side, he said, “This land has a soul. You’re doing right by it.” I clung to those words.
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