My father had signed his name in firm cursive, with the exact slant he used to write on my childhood art supplies.

“And the master lease agreement?” I asked.

“Page twelve,” Samuel said, flattening the corner of the heavy paper with his thumb.

“The lease gave Mendoza Development thirty years of occupancy, subject to strict verification terms.”

He turned the page and tapped a printed paragraph near the red wax seal.

“The main land lease requires quarterly verification from the sole Varela heir,” Samuel said.

“Without your personal signature every ninety days, their commercial tenancy is in default.”