I raised my mug and took a slow sip of the hot tea while the autumn wind rattled the porch glass outside.

We sat together in the quiet living room for almost an hour, drinking our tea and eating the biscuits, without another word about money or the estate.

Brandon left just after sunset, leaving his empty mug on the kitchen counter before heading down the gravel path to his sedan.

He didn’t ask for money, and he didn’t bring up the six-bedroom house on Lakeview Drive again.

At eight the next morning, I stood on the balcony with a heavy ceramic mug of black coffee.