He said taking care of her cost too much.

He said the old farmhouse in Maple Ridge didn’t make sense anymore.

He said a developer from Lexington wanted to buy the land to build vacation cabins and was willing to pay more than $70,000.

The house had been built by Mr. George, Mrs. Helen’s late husband. All three of their children had been born there.

That yard had seen baptisms, weddings, and funerals.

To her, it wasn’t just property.

It was the last piece of the life she’d shared with the man she loved.

“Brian kept saying I couldn’t even sweep it anymore,” she whispered. “He asked why I needed such a big house when I’d probably end up in a nursing home before long.”

Laura heard every word of it, and she never once stopped him.

She just kept saying,

“Mom, don’t be so stubborn. This could help all of us.”

One afternoon, Mrs. Helen overheard Brian on the phone in the garage.

“The old woman won’t sign, man. But that property’s already promised. One way or another.”

That night, she packed her medicine, two changes of clothes, and a photo of Mr. George into a shopping bag.

She said she was going back to Maple Ridge.

Brian smiled and offered to drive her.