Right next to it on the survey map was Parcel 14-A, forty acres of timbered bottomland along the creek.

I traced the transfer line back to March of nineteen ninety-eight.

A blue notary stamp sat in the lower right corner of the title transfer ledger.

The original deed showed that Parcel 14-A had been given by Arthur Schafer to his grandson Nathan Schafer and his son Ronald Schafer as joint tenants with right of survivorship.

I held my index finger flat on the page, working out the dates in my head.

Nate turned eighteen in March of nineteen ninety-eight.