“Never go to the farm, Catherine. Promise me.”
Those words, spoken with uncharacteristic intensity, were among the few demands my husband, Joshua, ever made during our 24 years of marriage. I had always respected his wishes, even when curiosity gnawed at me during those rare moments when he’d mentioned his Canadian childhood on a property he’d left behind.
But now Joshua was gone, taken by a heart attack that no one, not even me, had seen coming. After 24 years of marriage, I had become a widow at 52, with a bitter daughter and a hollow space in my chest where certainty used to live. Mrs.
Mitchell, the voice of Joshua’s attorney, Mr. Winters, pulled me from my thoughts. We sat in his wood-paneled office two weeks after the funeral, the finality of death reduced to paperwork and signatures.
“There’s one more item.”
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He slid a small box across his desk. Inside lay an antique brass key attached to a maple leaf keychain, and a sealed envelope with my name written in Joshua’s precise handwriting.
“What is this?”
I turned the heavy key in my palm.
“Your husband purchased a property in Alberta, Canada three years ago. According to his instructions, you were only to be informed of its existence after his passing.”
Mr.
Winters adjusted his glasses.
“The deed has been transferred to your name. All taxes are paid for the next five years.”
“A property in Canada?”
I struggled to process this information. Joshua didn’t own any property outside of our home.
“It’s called Maple Creek Farm.
Apparently, it was his childhood home, though the deed shows it changed hands several times before he repurchased it.”
The farm. The place he’d forbidden me to visit. The place that had caused his gentle face to harden whenever it was mentioned.
“Mrs.
Mitchell, there’s something else you should know.”
Mr. Winters lowered his voice.
“The property has become quite valuable recently. There have already been inquiries about its availability.”
“Valuable?
It’s a farm.”
“Yes. But according to my information, significant oil deposits were discovered in the region about 18 months ago. Your husband declined multiple offers from energy companies.”
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