AllFreeNovel
Share Us
“What happened to your job? And wait! Oh my God, what happened to Marie?” she asks, her voice rising as her words topple over each other.
“So I do have an aunt Marie?” I ask, confused. I thought surely the letter was incorrectly addressed or something since I have never heard of her before.
“I need wine,” she says under her breath, and I huff a laugh as I hear her open the bottle. “Okay, let’s start with work. Tell me.”
I imagine her leaving whatever deliciousness she was making out on the counter as she heads to her living space, sitting on her sofa, her legs curled underneath her as she gives me all her attention. I miss her. My father left us when I was only little, and since then, it’s always been just Mom and me. I was devastated when she said she wanted to leave the city. Years of working two jobs just to get me through college, the cold, dark winters, and the masses of people all burned her out, which is why the quiet of the suburbs called to her.
“Basically, they are restructuring. The advertising sales are now being run from corporate, and my entire team and I were let go today,” I say, blowing out a breath. I didn’t love my job, as selling advertising space inmagazines was never a career dream of mine. But it paid the bills, and I was good at it.
“Are you okay for money?” she asks, and I sigh.
“I haven’t had any leave in years, and I got a nice commission the last two quarters, which I was saving for the wedding. It’s not much, but I can afford to take my time and find the right next step.” My fingers play with the paper from the letter that sits on my legs. “So I have an aunt Marie?” I ask, moving on to the other topic that has spiked my interest.
“You do. She was your father’s older sister. I met her a few times when you were younger. She had a small farm a few states over handed down to her from your grandparents. Even though she was a cranky woman, when we visited, she was totally enamored with you,” Mom says, and my eyebrows rise.
“Really? I can’t remember it.” Frowning, I try to think back.
“You wouldn’t. You would have only been five or six. She was much older than your father, she had some animals, and she spent all day taking you outside, showing you how to milk a cow and grow vegetables. Of course, you just ended up muddy, but she enjoyed it. It was a highlight for her since she didn’t have any kids of her own,” my mom explains, and I find myself smiling.
“So what happened to her?”
“When your father left us, I lost contact with his family. When your grandparents passed, no one else ever reached out except once, and it was Marie. I got a letter about a decade ago from her, asking about you, and I senther a long letter back, with photos. We exchanged Christmas cards for a little while, but that was about it. It’s sad to know she has gone.”
“She left me her house,” I tell her as my eyes flick through the letter again.
“What?” My mom shrieks so loudly that I need to pull my phone from my ear.
“Her house and… farm?” I say as I quickly read through the letter again. “And a small amount of money. She left me everything…” I say in surprise and awe.
“Oh my God. In Whispers?” Mom asks, and I look at the address in the letter.
“Yes. Do you think that is where Dad is?” I ask, more scared than hopeful. He wasn’t a nice man, and all I know of him is that he ran off with a mistress and never looked back.
“No, I doubt it. He hated anything to do with the outdoors. He grew up there but couldn’t wait to get out of the place and never went back after college until we went with you. Being a city girl, I never pushed it either. He also never got along with Marie. They didn’t see eye to eye, and I would be surprised if she ever saw him after our last visit when you were a child. Maybe that is why she left you everything instead of him. You are the only grandchild on that side of the family, her only niece. There was no one else.”
I sigh a heavy breath. The family dynamics sound too dramatic for me to even comprehend.
“What should I do?” I ask, knowing she will tell me exactly what she thinks.
“What do you mean? You need to go!” she says, and my brow crumples.
“What?” I sit up straight, my heart picking up pace at the thought.
“You thought the universe was delivering you bad karma with Josh and now your job, but what if the universe was pushing you to go to the exact place you need to be?” While she has always been a little woo-woo, I like her optimism.
“But I can’t leave, I’ve got—” I start to say, and she cuts me off.
“A loving fiancé and a wedding to plan? A fantastic job that is offering you a promotion? Victoria, can’t you feel the opportunity in this?” She’s almost pleading with me.
“Mom! It is a farm, in a town I have never been, far away from the city. I have no idea what I am meant to do with it,” I tell her with a shake of my head she can’t see. She has clearly had too much wine. This is crazy. I can’t live on a farm. I have never even been out of the city much before.
“Well, you could sell it, take the money, and then sit in the city and figure out your next steps. Probably get back into advertising, find another Wall Street guy…” she starts.
“Or?” I prod. None of that sounds appealing at all, and her lack of enthusiasm matches mine at those options.
“Or you could take yourself on a wonderful adventure and flip your life upside down,” she says, and I know sheis smiling just from the tone of her voice. She has always been adventurous.
“I’m not sure…” Looking back over the letter, I notice there is a deadline, and it’s only a few days away.
