Chapter 6 - Spring on the Acreage
Two months later, the Ohio snow melted away, replaced by the vibrant green shoots of spring pushing up through the damp earth.
With the funds from the pillow inheritance, we didn't buy luxury cars or flashy vacations. We did something much more practical—and something Fiona would have smiled at. We invested a portion of it into repairing the old farmhouse roof, bought a new tractor for Thomas, and set up a dedicated college fund for our son.
The rest of the money, along with the acreage, became our new project.
One Saturday morning in late April, Thomas and I drove out to the north acreage—the very land Fiona’s husband had left her, the land that had funded our new beginning.
The fields were vast, rolling gently toward the horizon under a brilliant blue sky. Wildflowers were beginning to bloom along the fence lines, yellow and purple catching the morning breeze.
We walked side by side through the rich, dark soil, our boots sinking slightly into the earth.
“What do you want to plant here this year, Mabel?” Thomas asked, shading his eyes against the sun as he looked out over the empty acres.
I stopped, crouching down to scoop a handful of the damp, fertile dirt into my palm. It smelled rich, earthy, and full of life—the exact same smell that had clung to Fiona’s apron every evening when she came in from working the fields decades ago.
“Corn,” I said softly, letting the soil slip slowly through my fingers. “And soybeans. Just like she used to.”
May you like
Thomas smiled, wrapping his arm around my waist and pulling me close against his side. “She’d like that. She’d like knowing this land is working again.”
“She knows,” I murmured, looking up at the wide, endless Ohio sky.
