My heart pounded in my chest as I watched the men approach, their faces a tapestry of stern determination. I knew Joshua’s family had never approved of our marriage. They viewed me as an outsider, an unwelcome addition to their tightly knit clan. Yet, here they were, crossing the threshold of the farm Joshua had so carefully shielded from their influence—and mine.

The leader of the group, Michael, Joshua’s older brother, stepped forward, his gaze scanning the room with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. “Catherine,” he acknowledged tersely, his voice as chilly as the Canadian air. “We didn’t expect to find you here.”

“I didn’t know you were coming,” I replied, trying to steady my voice and my nerves. The enormity of the gift Joshua had left me was still fresh, and I wasn’t ready to confront whatever this visit might mean.

“We assumed you’d sell the farm,” Michael said, glancing around at the artwork with an expression that bordered on contempt. “Didn’t think you’d be interested in this place.”

“I was curious,” I said, lifting my chin slightly. “Joshua wanted me to see it first.”

Michael’s eyes flickered with something I couldn’t quite read. Was it resentment? Regret? “This place was important to him,” he said, his tone softening slightly. “Important to all of us.”

I braced myself. There had always been a distance between Joshua and his family, a chasm filled with unspoken grievances and hidden hurts. I suspected the farm was at the heart of it. I wanted to ask, to understand, but the tension in the room was palpable, a living thing that clawed at my composure.

Before I could gather the courage to inquire further, another man, Richard, who I remembered vaguely from family gatherings, spoke up. “We thought you’d at least let us know your plans. It’s part of our legacy too.”

Their legacy. Our legacy. I looked around again at the art, at the beauty Joshua had created from his past pains. This was not just a farm; it was a testament to healing and transformation—a reflection of what he had hoped to build with me.

“I don’t know what my plans are,” I confessed, my voice wavering with the weight of uncertainty. “Joshua wanted me to come here, to see what he’d done. I’m still…processing.”

The third man, a cousin named David, nodded slowly. “He loved you, Catherine. That much was clear.”

The room fell silent, a collective contemplation of what Joshua’s love had wrought—a silent testament not just in paint and wood, but in every choice, every decision he had made for us.

Michael sighed heavily, the tension in his shoulders easing just a fraction. “I suppose we should leave you to it then,” he said, his voice gruff but not unkind.

As they turned to leave, a flicker of hope sparked within me. Perhaps this farm, this unexpected inheritance, could be a bridge—a way to mend old wounds and start anew. But first, I needed to understand what Joshua had truly left behind, for them and for me.

I watched as the SUV disappeared down the gravel path, feeling the weight of the future pressing gently but firmly at my back. The farm was a mystery, a gift, and perhaps, with time, a new beginning.