Carmen squeezed my shoulder.
“What are you going to do?”
I looked around at this family.
They’d trusted me enough to share what they found. They could’ve easily kept quiet about papers worth millions of dollars. Nobody would ever have known.
Instead, they’d called me. Within hours.
They’d fixed up my falling-down cabin. Turned it into a real home. And now they were helping me get my whole life back.
“First,” I said, “I’m calling James Patterson.”
Sophia clapped her hands together.
Then she stopped clapping. And her little face got very serious.
“Are we going to keep living in the talking house?”
The question caught me off guard.
In all my excitement, I hadn’t even thought about what this meant for the Rodriguez family. If I had millions of dollars, I certainly didn’t need to live in a drafty cabin in the woods.
But I looked at the pansies Carmen had planted in coffee cans. The solid repairs Miguel had made. The careful little piles of papers Sophia had organized.
The papers that were about to change my life.
And I realized something.
This wasn’t just about money. Or about getting even.
This was about family. Real family. The kind that chooses to help even when they have nothing to gain.
I knelt down in the dirt so I was eye level with Sophia.
“Sweetheart,” I said. “How would you feel about living here for good? Not as renters. As owners. With your name on the papers. Would you like that?”
Her eyes got huge.
“Forever and ever?”
“Forever and ever,” I said.
She threw her arms around my neck so hard she almost knocked me over.
James Patterson’s law office takes up the whole fifteenth floor of a glass tower in downtown Hartford.
It couldn’t have been more different from the cramped office where Robert Sterling read me that old will.
The moment I stepped off the elevator, I could feel it. The receptionist smiled at me like she meant it. The waiting room was comfortable instead of cold.
“Mrs. Hathaway.”
James Patterson came out of his office with his hand held out. He was about fifty. Gray-streaked hair. Eyes that were both smart and kind.
“I’ve been expecting you,” he said. “Though I hoped it would be under different circumstances.”
“Beacon Falls Gift,” I said.
He smiled.
“Yes, ma’am. Please. Come in.”
Sophia Rivers is an experienced News Content Editor with a sharp eye for detail and a passion for delivering accurate and engaging news stories. At TheArchivists, she specializes in curating, editing, and presenting news content that informs and resonates with a global audience.
Sophia holds a degree in Journalism from the University of Toronto, where she developed her skills in news reporting, media ethics, and digital journalism. Her expertise lies in identifying key stories, crafting compelling narratives, and ensuring journalistic integrity in every piece she edits.
Known for her precision and dedication to the truth, Sophia thrives in the fast-paced world of news editing. At TheArchivists, she focuses on producing high-quality news content that keeps readers informed while maintaining a balanced and insightful perspective.
With a commitment to delivering impactful journalism, Sophia is passionate about bringing clarity to complex issues and amplifying voices that matter. Her work reflects her belief in the power of news to shape conversations and inspire change.