The Cottage by Daniel Judson

Author:Daniel Judson [Judson, Daniel]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Thomas & Mercer
Published: 2021-11-01T16:00:00+00:00

While Rebecca is making lunch for Max and Callie, Kate retrieves her strongbox from the top shelf of her bedroom closet. Sitting on her bed, she places the metal box on her lap and opens it.

She spends the next few minutes sorting through its contents, among which are the deed to the house; the twins’ birth certificates, as well as her own; her and Leif’s social security cards; various insurance policies, life and home; the title to her Subaru; Leif’s death certificate; their marriage certificate; and the now out-of-date will.

Removing the will from its envelope, Kate glances at the first few paragraphs, then sets the document aside.

The items that remain in the box are banking records relating to a savings account and a college fund, as well as Kate’s teacher’s pension.

The college fund currently holds $150,000—half of the payout from Leif’s life insurance. The savings account holds $220,000—the other half of the life insurance payout plus another $70,000 that Kate and Leif, because they lived in a mortgage-free home and rented the cottage in the summers, had managed to save over the course of their marriage.

Kate has always been comforted by the fact that she has these assets to fall back on, but the discussion with her father-in-law has left her suddenly with a sense of unease about these funds.

Just one more thing to be uneasy about.

Yes, she needs to address this issue, should something happen, and appoint someone to take care of her children, as well as be a responsible steward for not only the high-value property but also the $370,000 in cash.

But whom to pick?

Of course, the candidates are few—her sister, her children’s grandfather, her best friend and neighbor. And yet that pared-down list doesn’t make the decision she faces any easier. Should she choose one of them to serve as both guardian and conservator? Or should she choose one for one role and one for the other? The likely candidate for conservator is their grandfather, but because of his age, should someone be named as backup? The same question would apply to Leo Burke being their guardian. And in either case, who would that backup be? Could she trust Rebecca—truly trust her? Until recently, Rebecca’s life has been chaotic, and though she seems to have changed, old habits have a way of resuming. And then there is the matter of Rebecca’s bout with cancer. What if it returned? What if she were sick for a prolonged period of time? What if she didn’t survive?

And while Kate loves and trusts Maria, Derek isn’t her favorite person in the world, so there’s that to consider. And anyway, how exactly would Maria being their guardian work? Would Max and Callie live with her? If so, what would happen to this house? The house Kate had promised to never sell. A house that any developer would buy and more than likely tear down so that a McMansion could be erected.

Her mind reeling, Kate piles the papers back into the box, locks it, and returns it to the upper closet shelf.

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