Free The Legacy by J. Adams Page A

and I have
grown to love you very much.”
“I love you too.” Her unexpected outpouring of feelings
is just what I need right now. “You've also been like a mother
to me. You have been there for me when I've really needed
one.”
“Thank you.” Flicking a tear away, she goes on. “Well,
the reason I’m glad you're waiting is because a couple of weeks
ago, I had some things changed in my will. Now mind you, I've
put a lot of thought and prayer into these changes and I feel
very good about my decision.” She pauses, her eyes intent.
“Cisely, when I die, this house and everything else I own will be
yours.”
The word stunned doesn't come close to describing what
I feel. It takes me a moment to really grasp what she just said,
and then another before I can speak. “But . . . why?”
“Because I love you. You’ve brought joy and sunshine
into my life. And now that you are marrying my favorite
nephew, it will belong to both of you. So, if it’s okay with you
both, I would like you to stay here, because if you leave, I will
be more lonely than I’ve ever been. I bought this place thinking
I would one day marry and fill it with children of my own, but
that never happened. One old woman in a house this size
makes for a very lonely life.”
“You really want us to stay with you?” Ingo finally asks,
his expression mirroring mine. I know how much he loves this
house and I don’t want to leave any more than he does. When
his eyes meet mine, they affirm that our feelings are the same.
“Aunt Jessica, we would love to live here with you.”
Sighing, Jessica smiles, drying her eyes. “You have made
this old woman very happy.”
We stand and embrace. The wealth of love present flows
through me, warming my entire being. I finally draw back and
kiss Jessica’s cheek. “Thank you for loving me so much.”
“Thank you for giving me the chance to love you.”
“I have to second that,” Ingo says, kissing his aunt as
well.
As I stand in the loving embraces of these two amazing
people, I know that no matter what happened in the past or
will happen in the future, mine is a blessed life.
At moments like this, the slight uneasiness that tugs at me
from time to time simply disappears.

Fifteen
    It is three days before the wedding and Ingo's family
arrives in a caravan of rental cars. His parents, Gloria and
Patrick, are amazing and immediately take me into their family.
His brothers, Michael and Luke, and their wives, his uncle, Bill,
and his wife, as well as his aunt, Sarah, and her husband are all
equally
welcoming.
The
children
and grandchildren
are a
jumble of names, but one day I will eventually remember them
all.
    As Ingo had warned me, Patrick and the rest of the men
immediately break me in. They tell Ingo what a babe I am and
joke
with
him about
holding
out
on
them,
making
me
extremely
grateful for
my
brown
skin,
because
I would
definitely be two shades of red by now.
    I love watching Ingo interact with his family throughout
the day, and I am grateful they embraced me so readily.
Understanding the emotional baggage their son is willingly
tying himself to, his parents accept me with no judgments. The
day Ingo called to tell them about the wedding, I had given him
permission to share the details of my life. They in turn have
shown me nothing but love and support.
    Gloria
follows
me
to
the
kitchen
to
grab
more
sandwiches and lemonade for everyone.
Placing her arm around my shoulders she says, “Jessica
has told me over and over how special you are and how
fortunate Ingo is to have you. I agree with her. I couldn’t
understand why he never liked anyone enough to even attempt
a relationship. I guess he was saving himself for you and didn’t
know it.” She smiles, squeezing my shoulder. “I'm so happy to
be acquiring such a beautiful daughter-in-law.”
I'm not going to cry! I'm not going to cry! I'm not . . . “Thank
you,” I manage to say as those blasted tears brim my eyes. “I’m
happy to be part of