At five in the morning, my cabin security alarm shattered the silence and my phone started buzzing — the young guard at the gate whispered, “Ma’am, your daughter-in-law just arrived with a moving truck and three men. She’s saying she owns the place now. I didn’t run to the door. I didn’t beg or argue. I stared at the Colorado mountains outside my window and simply told him, “Let her in.”

I made a roast with rosemary and garlic, the kind Daniel had loved since childhood. I set the table with linen napkins I’d ironed that morning and filled a vase with wildflowers I’d picked along the trail behind the house. The cabin smelled of fresh bread and wood smoke, welcoming and warm.

By the time their car pulled into the driveway, everything was ready.

I stepped onto the porch, wiping my hands on my apron, and watched as Daniel climbed out of the driver’s seat. He looked happy, lighter than I’d seen him in months. He waved, grinning, and moved to open the passenger  door.

That’s when I saw her.

Melissa stepped out with the kind of grace that seemed rehearsed. She was striking, I’ll give her that. Tall, with dark hair that fell in perfect waves over her shoulders. She wore a cream‑colored sweater and jeans that looked expensive, the kind that fit just right without trying too hard. Her smile was wide, bright, practiced.

She walked toward me with her hand extended, and I noticed her nails, polished, immaculate, the hands of someone who didn’t garden or scrub floors or do much of anything that left marks.

“Mrs. Harland,” she said warmly, taking my hand in both of hers. “It’s such an honor to finally meet you. Daniel talks about you constantly.”

Her grip was firm, confident, but there was something about the way she held on just a fraction too long that made me aware she was measuring me, studying.

“Please, call me Helen,” I said, returning the smile. “It’s wonderful to meet you, too.”

Daniel came up beside her, slipping an arm around her waist.

“Mom, isn’t this place amazing? I was just telling Melissa about the view from the back porch.”

“It’s stunning,” Melissa agreed, her eyes already drifting past me toward the open door. “Daniel wasn’t exaggerating. This house is absolutely beautiful. You must feel so lucky to have a place like this.”

There it was. That word.

Continue reading…