Across the road stood an abandoned eighty-acre farm that Jeff had always dreamed of buying. It was listed for $430,000. I accepted the brothers’ offer, purchased the property with cash, and used much of the remaining money to buy an old tractor, a planter, and corn seed. Although I had farming experience, the financial risks were enormous.
With help from my sister and neighbors, Abby and I moved into our new farmhouse. She discovered her father’s old green cap while packing and wore it proudly as we began planting our first crop. Across the road, Randy worked his enormous fields with modern machinery, while I struggled with equipment problems and exhausting days. Still, every completed row brought us closer to independence.
As the weeks passed, kind neighbors offered advice and practical help. Abby wondered whether her uncles would ever speak to us again, but I couldn’t promise they would. One evening, we stood beside our red barn, looking across the freshly planted fields. Abby asked when the corn would grow, and I told her we needed patience and rain. For the first time since Jeff’s death, our future felt hopeful again.
