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The lawyer starts reciting the terms of the will. I’m not actually paying attention. Instead, I’m fixated on his hair. It’s medium length and swept back, but whenever he tilts his head forward, it doesn’t move. Not even a little bit.

“Nate,” my mother says, nudging my side again.

“Huh, sorry what?”

The lawyer slides a photo across the table. “The Buxton Estate, surrounding grounds, and operational accounts have been left to yourself and a second beneficiary.”

“They what now?”

“Well, isn’t that lovely,” my mother says, picking up the photo. She runs her fingertips down it slowly. “Your uncle loved this place.”

“But why leave it to me? Does it say somewhere in there why he left it to me? I don’t want an estate. What am I supposed to do with an estate? I thought he’d leave me like a coin collection or the old Ford that he used to drive around.”

The lawyer shakes his head. “The terms of the will don’t include his reasoning, I’m afraid.”

“You used to summer here, do you remember?” my mother asks, still clutching the photo. “Maybe you could run it?”

“You’ve got to be kidding. I don’t know how to run an estate. I’d be better off selling it and then you could pay off your place in Philly.”

The lawyer interjects before my mother can.

“Your mother’s been left the death benefit and the balance of his personal accounts along with some shares, all together coming to a total value of one point three million dollars. In regards to selling your inheritance, the second beneficiary would need to sign off on a sale unless they chose to buy you out, which they reserve first option at market value. That part is stipulated within the terms of the inheritance.”

“So, who’s the second beneficiary? I don’t have any cousins, and Uncle Jack was the only other family I thought there was.”

“A Mr. Remigius Dubois now controls fifty percent of the estate. He will be notified of his share after our meeting today.”

“I’ve never heard of him,” my mother says, finally laying the photo down on the table. “Maybe if I had returned to the estate, I would have met them. So many things must have changed over the years. I should have gone back…” she trails off, her gaze moving to the window but not before I see her eyes glass over.

“We always think we have more time,” I tell her, resting my hand on her shoulder. She places her palm over mine and takes a steadying breath.

“Then we have to learn from this. Both of us,” she says, turning in the chair to face me. “Promise me.”

I have no idea what exactly I am promising to do here, but I agree.

“Sure, Mom. I promise.”

“There is some paperwork for you both to sign,” the lawyer says, moving right back to business. I should be grateful he’s not dragging this part out, but also, fuck man, read the room.

It takes longer to get through the paperwork than it did for him to read the will, and when all is said and done, we leave their pretentious offices and head to one of our favorite spots. Tillie’s Bakery on seventh.

“I know you’ve been through a lot,” my mother says before pausing to sip her tea. “But Jack left you the estate, and I think you should go.”

“You want me to go to the estate, to do what?”

“To run it. Or half run it with this Remigius person.”

“I have zero clue about how to run an estate.”

“You’re smart, you’ll figure it out.”

“Mom, the only reason I’d be going to the estate is to check out how best to sell it.”

She sighs. “Then do that then. It could be a nice holiday for you.”

“Really? You wouldn’t mind if I sold it?”

“Jack left it to you, so you can do whatever you want with it. We just agreed to not wait to do something we want to do. Right? We won’t wait for another day, when today can be that day.”