The lawyer, Mr. Collins, spent several days reviewing Daniel’s documents. He explained that the $500,000 offer might be legitimate, but I needed to understand the value of the land, the equipment, and Daniel’s ownership interest before agreeing to anything. The partnership agreement contained details I had never seen. Daniel’s share included rights connected to certain inherited acreage, and there were provisions about how those interests would be valued after a partner’s death. Randy and Scott had presented their offer as though there were no other possibilities. I asked Mr. Collins to arrange an independent appraisal and review the farm’s financial records. He warned me not to sign anything until we had a complete picture. For the first time since the funeral, I felt that I had something solid to hold on to.

While the lawyers worked, I started looking at properties outside town. I didn’t want to move Abby into a small rental and spend the next several years feeling like we had lost everything Daniel had built. One afternoon, while driving home from Hastings, I noticed a large stretch of farmland across the road from the family property. It was roughly eighty acres, with open fields, a small farmhouse, and an old machine shed. A real estate sign stood near the entrance. I stopped and called the number. The owner explained that he was preparing to sell because his children had moved away and he no longer wanted to maintain the land. I asked about the price, then drove home thinking about it. The property was not perfect, but it had something important: it was close enough for Abby to remain in the community she knew, while giving us a place that belonged entirely to us.