When Alice’s grandfather passed away, she was shocked to learn that, despite being her closest relative, he had left everything to her brothers. But when she went to the old barn she had inherited, she found something that would forever alter her and her family’s lives.
Jake and Ashton were Alice’s two older brothers. She was her parents’ only child.
When they were younger, her parents both worked on cruise ships, which frequently required them to travel a lot.
In order to provide their children with stability, Alice’s parents entered into a contract with their grandchildren’s grandfather, Bill, in which they stipulated that the children would reside with him while their parents were away at work. Consequently, Alice and her brothers spent a lot of time as children with their grandfather.
Alice had a sincere love for her grandfather and they developed a strong bond over time. They were actually good friends, not grandparents and granddaughters.
Alice continued to regularly visit Bill even after her parents found work outside the home in the country.
Alice would talk to her grandfather about everything. He would tell her all of his stories about his adventures over the years and his difficult but happy childhood. Alice would share with him all of her goals and aspirations for her life.
Sadly, Alice’s grandfather passed away at some point.
Alice’s world fell apart and her heart was completely broken by this. She seemed to have changed everything after losing her grandfather.
Although Alice was aware that he was old, had lived a long and fruitful life, and had passed away peacefully, this did not lessen the pain. She could rely on her grandfather as a friend, and she could argue and laugh with him.
The time for the family to deal with Bill’s will came quickly.
Since their grandfather had left most of everything to his grandchildren, Alice, Jake, Ashton, and Lawrence, Bill’s attorney, met. As he explained who would receive what, they all sat in Lawrence’s office together.
As Lawrence read and explained their grandfather’s final wishes, Jake and Ashton were eager to learn what they stood to gain.
“Okay. So, what did he leave for us?” Jake asked impatiently.
“Yeah, what do I get?” Ashton added.
“Hold on.
We’ll get there. I just want you to understand what your grandfather left behind. So, the estate of…” Lawrence started.
Lawrence and her brother’s words faded into the background as Alice was engulfed by her thoughts.
She sat there stoically, reliving the trauma of losing one of the people closest to her.
She remembered her mother’s bitter weeping when the doctor announced that her father was gone. She remembered kissing him for the last time and thinking, “How could someone who brought such warmth and life suddenly be so cold and lifeless in a single moment?”
Alice still had a lot to deal with, and Lawrence’s office was the last place she wanted to be. She still had so many questions.
She was happy that her grandfather was at rest, but it didn’t make the pain any easier to digest.
“Alice, do you understand what I just said?” Lawrence asked, everyone now staring at her.
“Uhm… What?” Alice asked, snapping out and coming back to reality.
“I said, the house will be going to your brothers. Bill left you the barn where his farm used to be. The farm itself was foreclosed, as you know.
However, somehow your grandfather managed to make it independent from the property. So, you will have access to it even after it was repossessed,” Lawrence explained.
“Wow! A whole barn,” Jake said with a scoff as Ashton broke into laughter.
“Uhm… I strongly suggest you look into trying to salvage what you can from it.
It won’t be much, but if you could at least make a deal with the new owners of the land, I’m sure you should be able to get something out of it,” Lawrence said empathetically.
“Something like what? You got left with peanuts, sis’. So much for all those summers at grandpa’s,” Ashton said as he and Jake erupted into laughter again.
Alice, unable to hold back her tears, grabbed her stuff and rushed out.
“Oh, come on, Alice.
We were just having a laugh,” Jake yelled as Alice exited.
Alice didn’t care much for Bill’s assets. What really tugged at her heartstrings was that this made her question her relationship with her grandfather. Her brothers had barely spent as much time with him or loved him as she did.
Alice’s grandfather also knew how financially strained she was compared to her brothers.
She would have hoped he may have considered this as well. If Alice had inherited the house, she might have at least had a place to stay without paying rent.
The house wasn’t in the best of conditions. It was old and dilapidated.
However, if Jake and Ashton worked on it, they could make a good profit from it. Alice, on the other hand, didn’t have much to work with.
While she was slightly offended that she received practically nothing as the only person who sincerely loved her grandfather, she tried not to let it get the best of her.
She was still rich in the memories she shared with her grandfather, and she couldn’t let material possessions get in the way of that. In the end, her grandfather showed Alice he loved her while he was alive; she didn’t need anything more than that.
Alice was a hard and determined worker.
Her financial troubles came as a result of a failed business due to forces that were beyond her control. She was tirelessly working at getting back on her feet, but it seemed that all her efforts were in vain.
She decided she would try to reach out to her brothers. Perhaps they would be open to letting her stay at the house until she got back on her feet.
That way, she could save money on rent and try to put the pieces of her life toge
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