She swallowed. Flipped through to the last entry.
9/28
Hey Dawn,
I’ve been so exhausted lately. And so has our Delly. She’s too young for all this. She should be out there doing what she wants. Maybe settling down. Starting her own family.
I know she’d never ask me to sell, but I can see it in her eyes.
This farm is a beautiful place. But it needn’t be a beautiful casket for her.
I’ve decided to sell to that kid at Winter Pines. He knows how close me and his Grandpa were. I think he feels bad, because he offered more than enough to pay off our debts and still leave a nice nest egg. Enough to get me and Del settled somewhere. Maybe even get her going at school finally.
I want one last Christmas here, Dawn. I want to set up Christmas village like you used to do and enjoy this place with our girl. Then I’ll tell her on Christmas Day.
She might be mad at me. But this is just a place. I’m tired of making her suffer. I’m an old man now, and this place has been falling apart since our son died. It’s time I stop being so damn stubborn and do the right thing.
Delaney’s mouth hung open. She reread that entry four times.
Her brain was reeling. Grandpa ended up telling her on Christmas anyway.
She couldn’t stop the peals of laughter and tears. She scrambled up and ran down the stairs, yanking her phone off the counter.
There was no way.
It took Russell a few moments, but he answered.
“Hey there, Merry Christmas, Delaney… what’s going on?”
“Rus, I just found something. Anyway, is it true? Was Grandpa going to sell?” She was breathless. Her heart didn’t know what to feel.
“Oh, did you finally read one of those letters I’ve been leaving you? I’ve been trying to tell you for months and I—”
“Rus!” She stumbled over to the living room and snatched up the letter he’d left her the other day. The one that had taken up residence on her coffee table. Her eyes bulged as she read the contents.
It was a copy of the paperwork. All that was missing was her signature.
She swallowed.
“Yes. I swear to you! Now listen. I know this isn’t easy, but Del, think about this. If you would just—”
“I’ll sign.” She whispered it. “I’m going to sign.”
She reached down and grabbed a pen. Scrawled her name across the line.
“Hey Rus, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. Good luck with this place.”
“Del, what’s going o—”
She hung up.
She was shaking with adrenaline.
She stared at her signature on the paper. Her name in blue ink. So small. So final. The farm was gone. Sold. The thing she’d bled for, cried for, nearly killed herself for—signed away in seconds. And she felt… Lighter. Like she’d been carrying a corpse on her back and finally set it down. But Maelic was leaving. Right now. This second. And if she didn’t move—if she didn’t choose—he’d be gone forever. The farm or him. The past or the future. Standing still or moving forward. Her heart was pounding so hard she could barely breathe.
Fuck it.
She shook her head and bolted. Grabbed a duffle bag. Packed only the essentials—clothes, toiletries, the family photo album from the shelf.
