I thought my late Dad’s rusty key was a bad joke until my cousin offered me $10,000 for it. That’s when I knew something was wrong. And I had to find out what he wasn’t telling me.
I never had much.
No husband, no house, no savings to speak of.
Just a small rented place and a diploma in architecture I stopped using the day my father got sick.
My life turned into hospital runs, sponge baths, silence in the hallway at 3 a.m.
when he forgot my name again. I gave up everything to be there.
And I would’ve done it again.
Finally, I was there. Sitting in a room that smelled like old paper.
My cousins chatted behind me about weekend plans.
Someone was laughing. They’re not even pretending.
The lawyer started reading the will.
My cousin grinned before the words left the lawyer’s mouth.
“To Rachel, the lake house.”
Of course. She hadn’t called in two years but suddenly found time to show up today.
“To Kyle, the Cadillac.”
I stared at my hands.
I didn’t expect anything.
Honestly.
But a small, stupid part of me hoped.
“To Evelyn…” He glanced at me. “A key.”
The lawyer slid a little velvet box across the table.
I opened it. A small, rusted key lay on the fabric.
No tag.
No note. Nothing. I heard someone behind me whisper, “That’s cold.” Then a short laugh.
I closed the box and gripped it in my hand.
Dad wouldn’t do this.
Not him.
Not to me. I was the one who stayed.
He wouldn’t… joke like this.
I shook the thought away. No.
He knew what he was doing.
He always knew. I stayed in my seat long after everyone else left the room. The key sat in my palm like dead weight.
I looked up.
My cousin, Daniel stood beside me with two paper cups.
He held one out.
“No thanks,” I said.
He sat down anyway. “That was rough, huh?
The key thing. I mean.”
I didn’t answer.
“I don’t think he meant anything by it.
He wasn’t really… himself near the end.”
“He was lucid.
Right until the last week.”
Daniel leaned forward. “Look, I’ve been thinking. I might sell the workshop.
If I do, I’ll give you half.
Just to be fair.”
“Why would you do that?”
“You were there. He clearly didn’t think straight.
So I figure… I should make it right.”
I said nothing.
“Or,” he added, “if you don’t care about the key, I’ll give you ten grand for it.”
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