My Kids Skipped Their Mother’s Funeral But Showed Up At Dawn To Demand The Farm. They Don’t Know She Left A Secret Video In The Safe That Changes Everything. Should I Let Them Keep Screaming Or Call My Lawyer?
“Why wouldn’t I?”
I asked. She exchanged a glance with Marcus.
“Well, it’s just… this is a lot of property for one person. The upkeep, the property taxes, the maintenance.”
“Dad, this land has to be worth at least three million now,”
David said.
“Maybe more with the mineral rights. Hill Country real estate is insane.”
There it was, less than 24 hours after their mother’s service.
“I’m not selling,”
I said.
“We’re not saying sell right away,”
Marcus jumped in.
“But maybe start thinking about it. You could get a condo in Austin, something manageable. Be closer to restaurants, doctors. You shouldn’t be isolated out here.”
“I’ve been isolated for 14 months,”
I said.
“Where were you then?”
Silence. Cassidy’s face flushed.
“That’s not fair, Daddy. We had responsibilities.”
“So did I. I had the responsibility of caring for your mother while she died, and I did it alone.”
“Dad, we couldn’t just drop everything,”
Marcus started.
“You couldn’t visit for an afternoon? You couldn’t call more than twice a month? You couldn’t be at her service?”
“We’re here now,”
David said defensively.
“We’re trying to help.”
“Help how? By telling me to sell the ranch?”
Another glance passed between them. Marcus pulled out his iPad.
“Actually, Dad, we need to talk about Mom’s estate. We know this is hard, but there are practicalities—the will, the assets, the property distribution.”
“Everything’s already handled,”
I said.
“What do you mean ‘handled’?”
Cassidy’s voice went sharp.
“Your mother took care of everything. The estate is settled.”
Marcus’s expression changed.
“What are you talking about? There has to be probate. The will goes through court. Assets get divided according to Texas law.”
“Not when everything was in joint ownership with right of survivorship.”
The color drained from his face.
“What did you just say?”
“Your mother and I owned everything jointly. When she died, it automatically passed to me. There’s nothing to probate.”
“That’s not possible,”
David said.
“The ranch wasn’t joint property. Mom inherited it from her grandmother. It was her separate property.”
“It was,”
I agreed,
“until 18 months ago when she transferred her half to me. Now it’s mine 100%.”
Marcus stood up.
“You manipulated her! She was sick! She wasn’t in her right mind!”
“She was completely lucid 18 months ago,”
I said calmly.
“She could still walk, still talk, still drive. She went to Susan Morrison’s office herself with me. She signed the documents. There are witnesses.”
“This is…”
Marcus said.
“She wouldn’t do that. She wouldn’t cut us out.”
“She didn’t cut you out of anything. She gave you exactly what you earned.”
Cassidy’s eyes filled with angry tears.
“How can you say that? We’re her children!”
Then my voice rose.
“Then where were you? Where were you when she needed you? When she was dying?”
“We couldn’t—”
Cassidy started.
“Yes, you could! You chose not to. You chose your jobs and your kids’ soccer games and your film shoots. You chose to let me handle everything alone. And your mother saw that. She saw it clearly.”
“So what?”
David said.
“She left everything to you? The ranch, the insurance, everything?”
“Yes.”
“That’s not legal,”
Marcus said, his voice venomous.
“We’ll contest it.”
“Go ahead. You’ll lose. Everything was done legally, properly. Your mother was of sound mind. She knew exactly what she was doing.”
“Why would she do this?”
Cassidy was crying now. Real tears.
“We’re her children.”
“Ask yourselves that question,”
I said.
“Ask yourselves why your mother felt she needed to protect me from you.”
Marcus was on his phone.
“I’m calling a lawyer.”
“Do it. But before you waste your money, you should know something. Your mother left documentation—text messages, call logs, dates, and times. She saved every conversation where you said you were too busy to visit. Every phone call where you cut her off after five minutes. She documented everything.”
He looked up.
“You’re lying.”
“I’m not. She knew this was coming. She knew you’d show up after she died demanding your share. So she prepared.”
“This is insane!”
