An Inheritance

Chapter 30 - FINAL

When Lauren had gone to the post office to check her Grandmother's mail box, she found a brown manila envelope from a lawyer other than Robert Kincaid.  Inside she found the deed to a property her grandmother had bought shortly before her death, with Lauren designated as the owner.  It was on the other side of Slidell and consisted of a house on approximately seven acres.   

Taking the key she found inside the envelope, Lauren and Sam had taken a drive to check it out.    The house had originally been an antebellum mansion built sometime after the civil war by a northerner who had been fascinated by the architecture.  It had passed hands many times and had most recently been a bed and breakfast, but had stood vacant for several years before her grandmother had bought it.   

Driving up to it, Lauren felt a familiarity that she couldn't quite figure out until they had opened the door and stepped in.  Standing in the foyer, Lauren knew it was the right place.  This was the sanctuary she had dreamed about.  Walking through the lower level, then out onto the wide back porch, she could feel the welcoming warmth of the property.  The huge back yard was surrounded by a tall white brick wall which gave privacy and protection. 

Sam stood beside Lauren and leaned against the porch railing.  "I can see a playground with children playing and their mothers relaxing, maybe for the first time in quite a while.  Your grandmother had been searching for a good place to set up a safe home for battered women and their children.  I hadn't realized she had found it.  This would be perfect." 

Lauren beamed.  "This is what I had dreamed about.  At first I thought it was a prison, but then the peacefulness of it, and the children playing gave me the image of a sanctuary.  You're right, this is perfect." 

"The foundation should make this its second priority, right after the clinic.  I don't think Fred will have much to redo here."  Sam looked up to the top levels of the house.  "I believe there are three levels and maybe an attic.  I remember coming through here a number of years ago when it was a B&B.  The house is on the Slidell historical registry and there was an open-house around Christmas time.  There were rooms with their own baths, and others with joined baths.  Plenty of room and already zoned for multiple families and commercial." 

"Grandmere thought of everything.  I think this is a fitting tribute to my mother and to others that have had a rocky marriage.  My mother had someone to turn to, someplace to go, but this will give those that find themselves alone, a place to call home until they can straighten their lives around.  A safe home." 

Lauren and Sam took a lengthy tour of the house, and found most everything in great condition.  As they were driving back to the cottage, Lauren glanced over at Sam.  "I know you might think I'm crazy, but I'm thinking of taking a beginner's law class for social services.  I don't plan to actually run this place, but I want to know enough that I can steer those that might come to me first in the right direction." 

"I know you'll be able to handle anything you set your mind to.  If you can wait until the summer semester, I may even join you.  It will be a change from the sciences I'm familiar with, but I think we both should be aware of the basics."  He took one hand off the steering wheel, reached over and grasped Lauren's hand. 

Lauren snuggled down in the seat and felt the glow she always felt from Sam's touch.  He was always responsive to her ideas and feelings.  It was almost as though he could read her mind, she  laughed to herself.  Yes, her grandmere knew who she needed before Lauren herself did.  

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Lauren looked over to the big Cypress tree and nodded her head slightly; someone was coming, he would be there shortly and would need Lauren's help.  She also knew Odilia would be there soon to assist and guide her.  Lauren needed less and less help as time had gone on, but it was always good to have Odilia there for support. 

Looking around her property, at her inheritance, Lauren smiled slightly.  She had come to love this land and the people around it as though she had always been here.  But she now knew that her real inheritance wasn't in the land or the money, it had always been within her. 

Lauren stood up, dusted off her jeans and walked back into the cottage with Abigail close at her heels ... she needed time to prepare.    

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A/N:  Thank you for reading, and for leaving comments and suggestions throughout.  I will be taking a couple months off from 'An Inheritance' and then will be revisiting every chapter, re-reading all suggestions and critiques.  These are what I will use to, hopefully, make this a smoother and more enjoyable story for those that may come upon it in the future.  Again, I just want to thank you for all of your kind words and encouragement that you have given me.

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