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1AllyI stare at my bank account, the smile on my face nearly painful it’s so wide I did it It’s all there

It’s a huge fucking relief, too Frankly, it’s more money than there’s ever been in et my house back Or rather, my family’s house

My entire childhood,an oldthe Cumberland River just outside of Nashville, and it was e evergreen trees, and I’d collect rocks fro my bedroom shelves with Mason jars filled witharden In the summer, when it was unbearably hot, I would spend hours on the bank reading, and then plunge into the water for relief I learned to swi in tubes withabout anything that was on our minds

But that was all before Before Mo spun out of control Beforehalt In just adown the river with Moether Instead of the sounds of the glorious rushing water of the Cu and haggle on the phone with hospitals and the insurance co and keep on a happy face forthrough her savings and suffering through treatone Her chance of survival was slim, and she just couldn’t hold on At fifteen, I heldher I’d be okay and that I loved her I’d never felt more alone in my life

But I wasn’t ever really alone When I left my mom’s hospital room for the final time, it was Grandpa’s ar to hiht and moved in the next day He sold the Cumberland River house and never looked back For two years of high school we lived together Both of us grieving and trying our best to find a new nore, and I was shellshocked realizing that I’d have to make my way in life without my mom I owe him so h e

Even though I understand why Grandpa let go of the house, it’s still hurt for all this time It felt like a piece of ers Even worse, I felt like I’d stolen so from Grandpa If it weren’t for me, he would have continued to live in his hoinal glory Now, though, I’ it together After everything he’s done forlearden like he used to love to do The o never really took a shine to it, so it’s been sitting empty for years now There hasn’t been much interest from any new buyer It’s out of town, so inconvenient for anyone orks in the city, and it still needs a lot of work It’s also a lot of house for someone who doesn’t have an emotional attachment to it It’s much more of a project than just a ho by it every week just to ing out front Every couple of weeks I’d call the realtor to see if the asking price was the same It hasn’t dropped a penny

My hands are shaking and I can barely dial the number that I’ve memorized over the last few years It’s been about a month since I’ve checked in with the broker, Janet God, I have so much adrenaline I feel like I could run a marathon Maybe I should run a couple of laps around the block Burn off soer

I don’t press dial yet, because I’m too … I don’t know I’m ready to burst For aroo I can’t believe that it’s actually happening I even go as far as to pinch myself to make sure that I’m actually awake