Sarah closed the mailbox and sifted through the mail as she climbed the steps to her apartment. Amidst the overdue bills, she discovered a white envelope with a hand written return address for an Evelyn MacPherson. She didn’t know any MacPhersons, did she? Sarah opened the envelope and pulled out a letter. As she opened it, she was astonished to find a check for $20,000.00 made out to her. She paid it no attention, assuming it was just another scam, and she moved it to the back to read the letter.

 

Sarah,

 

I know we’ve never met. My name is Evelyn MacPherson, and I am your grandmother. My daughter, Lizzie, was your mother. She gave you away for adoption as a baby because she wanted a better life for you than she could give you as a single mother. I regret to inform you of her recent passing due to a car accident.

Please know that she always loved you and just wanted the best for you. We’ve watched you grow up from a distance. You’ve turned into such a wonderful young woman. With Lizzie’s passing, it pains me to say that you are all the family I have left. I would very much like the chance to get to know you and spend some time with you. With that in mind, please consider the offer I’m about to extend.

I live on my own in our family home. It’s been passed down from generation to generation. I would like to be able to pass it on to you as I’m getting on in years. Please consider moving here with me. I could use some help caring for the place. I’ve attached a check for $20,000.00 which is your inheritance from your mother. I hope to meet you soon.

 

Sincerely,

 

Evelyn MacPherson

 

Sarah glanced at the bills waiting for her on the counter, bills she couldn’t afford to pay. Could this be the answer to her problems and the questions she’d been asking since childhood? She didn’t have anything holding her here. She worked remotely as a medical transcriptionist, so that wasn’t stopping her. All of her life, she’d wondered about the mysterious circumstances surrounding her adoption and what her family might be like. Did she resemble them? Did she have siblings? Her adoptive parents were enjoying their retirement in Florida, so what was stopping her? She had the money from the check to pay off her bills and moving expenses, so that settled it. Sarah would be moving to her biological family’s home in Shady Creek with a grandmother she’d never met. What did she have to lose?

 

**********

 

Sarah shut the trunk of her car and hoisted the luggage bag onto her shoulder. She stared at the beautiful scene before her. The family home was a large two story white farmhouse with blue shutters, and a wrap-around front porch with a swing. It was everything she’d always dreamed of. There was a barn behind the house, and a couple of cows in the pasture. She could see a large vegetable garden, and chickens roaming around the yard. An elderly woman stood up from the table on the porch where she’d been snapping green beans and began to walk towards Sarah.

“You must be Sarah. I’m your grandma, Evelyn.” Tears ran down Evelyn’s cheeks as she wrapped her granddaughter in a hug for the first time. Sarah wasn’t sure how to respond, but she hugged her grandmother in return. Evelyn smelled of lilacs, and her long silver braid shown in the sun.

“I’m so happy you decided to come! Come on. Let me show you around and get you settled,” Evelyn said as she took Sarah by the hand and led her into the house. The front foyer contained a wooden staircase featuring a beautiful stained glass window on the landing. Evelyn led Sarah up the stairs explaining each room they passed. She opened the last door on the left and showed Sarah her new room. “I think you’ll be happy here. There’s a lovely view of the garden from this window,” Evelyn said as she opened it to let in a nice warm breeze. Sarah touched the quilt her grandmother must have made for the bed. The bookshelf and reading area in the corner of the room suited her perfectly. “Yes,” Sarah said with a smile. “I believe I will be very happy here.”

 

**********

 

Evelyn had made them a wonderful dinner. It had been ages since Sarah had eaten a homecooked meal. She could get used to this! After the dinner dishes were washed up, Sarah and Evelyn strolled the property. Evelyn introduced Sarah to the milk cows, Betsy and Millie. “You mean we have to milk these cows by hand?” Sarah asked in surprise. “Well, yes, if we want to have milk to drink. We live so rurally that I only go into town once a month for groceries,” Evelyn replied with a chuckle. They moved on to the garden where Evelyn had planted corn, lettuce, cucumbers, beans, tomatoes, potatoes, onions, several varieties of squash, and much more. There was also a small orchard with apple, peach, cherry, and pear trees. Sarah had always longed for a life like this, but she didn’t know the first thing about living on a farm. There would be a lot to learn!

Sarah kissed her grandmother goodnight, and headed upstairs for a shower and some reading time before bed. As she looked through the bookshelf, she realized they weren’t all books. There were photo albums, a family tree, and a little black book filled with handwriting. She flipped through the pages of the little black book and realized it was a journal. Her mother’s journal. Sarah opened to the first entry.

The entry was dated for twenty-six years earlier. Lizzie talked about meeting a wonderful man named Grant, and they were so in love. She described him as handsome, kind, funny, intelligent, and charming. He was a soldier and had been killed in action on his first deployment, leaving Lizzie pregnant and alone. Lizzie struggled with the decision she had to make, but she felt it was important to give Sarah her best chance at a normal life with two parents who would love her. Sarah put the book down, wiping the tears from her cheeks. She was exhausted from everything she’d taken in today, so she decided to explore the journal and photo albums more tomorrow.

 

***********

 

Sarah opened her eyes. The sun was streaming in through her window, and she could hear the birds chirping in the trees. As she opened her bedroom door, the smell of bacon and coffee wafted up the stairs. “Good morning,” Sarah said as she walked into the kitchen. She sat down at the table and accepted the cup of coffee her grandmother handed her. “Sleep well?” Evelyn asked as she scooped scrambled eggs and bacon onto their plates. “Yes, I was so tired! I stayed up late. I found my mother’s journal on the bookshelf and was reading about my father. I lost track of time.” Sarah replied.

Evelyn handed Sarah her plate and said, “You know, if you want to talk about your parents, I’m always here. I know you must have so many questions. I don’t know much about your father. I only met him once. He was four years older than your mother, and I didn’t approve of their relationship at her young age. She was only eighteen when she met Grant. I can tell you, though, that your mother was an amazing woman. She loved to read, play the piano, cook, be out on the farm with the animals, and work in the garden. She was killed instantly in a car accident last month when a driver ran a red light and hit her car head on.”

Evelyn handed Sarah a framed photo from the shelf on the wall of Lizzie smiling while holding one of their chickens. Sarah had the same blonde curls and blue eyes as her mother. She looked so happy in the photo. Sarah handed the frame back to her grandmother and took another sip of coffee before asking, “Did she ever try to find me? Did she wonder about me? Regret her decision to give me up?”

Evelyn smiled gently as she replied, “We found you when you were sixteen years old, but we didn’t make contact because we didn’t want to disturb your life. We weren’t sure if your parents had told you that you were adopted, and we didn’t want to shock you or upend your life. Lizzie missed you and wanted so badly to be involved in your life, but she knew she’d done what was best for you. You needed a family where you would be loved by two parents, have a nice home, and ballet lessons, and everything a little girl should have. She knew she couldn’t afford to give you that life. It made her want to better herself, so Lizzie began taking classes and eventually became a doctor. She had an office here in Shady Creek and used her income to help out with the farm and save some for your inheritance. She always loved you!”

“Wow! I have to admit that deep down I always thought there must have been something wrong with me. That was why she gave me away,” Sarah said as she shoveled the eggs around on her plate. “Of course not! Your mother just didn’t think she could raise you alone,” Evelyn stated as she gently took Sarah’s hand. “Come on. Why don’t we go and get started outside? The cows need to be milked, and the garden needs to be weeded and watered.” They put their plates in the sink and went out to start their day.

Evelyn showed Sarah how to milk the cows by hand. It was a lot of work, but Sarah was excited to try the fresh milk. It was so much creamier than the store bought milk she’d always drank. They moved on to the garden next. Evelyn showed Sarah how to weed between the rows, and the two of them made quick work of it. Sarah found that she loved the feel of the dirt on her hands, as well as the feeling of accomplishment she had as she looked over the garden that would provide a lot of their food for the winter. Evelyn told Sarah that once they’d picked the harvest, they’d eat some fresh, can some foods, and freeze some. This would all be new to Sarah, but she had seen some books on the subjects in her bookshelf.

At the end of the day, Sarah took her mother’s journal out to the porch swing and sipped on some sweet, iced tea as she began to read again. Lizzie talked of missing Sarah, and how she had been at Sarah’s high school graduation, although Sarah had never known. Sarah closed the journal and gazed out at the sunset through the trees. She could hear the farm animals and birds. It was beautiful and serene. She felt at peace as she thought to herself, “Welcome home, Sarah.”