Tears welled up in my eyes as I absorbed his words. It was a side of my father I had never known—a vulnerability and acceptance I had never seen.

Martha watched my reaction, nodding knowingly.

“He also left something else for you,” she said, handing me an envelope. Inside was a letter from my father, along with a deed to a piece of land adjacent to the house.

The letter explained that my father had purchased the land years ago, intending it to be a place where he could retire and enjoy the simple life.

He wrote about how he hoped one day I might find use for it—whether as a place to build a home or as a sanctuary for reflection.