Chapter 17 - THE UNEXPECTED VISITOR
The peace of our new normal lasted through the rest of October and well into November, as the Texas heat finally yielded to a crisp, biting autumn. Thanksgiving was approaching, and for the first time in a decade, we were hosting it at our house—all of us, including Grant’s sister, who lived in Houston and had finally decided to clear the air regarding the past family friction.
On a Tuesday afternoon, as I was sweeping the front porch, a sleek black sedan pulled up to the curb.
I stopped sweeping, leaning against the wooden railing as the car door opened and a tall man in a tailored gray overcoat stepped out. He had silver-streaked hair, sharp, familiar eyes, and an expression of cautious hesitation that I hadn't seen in over fifteen years.
It was Richard—Grant’s estranged uncle on his father’s side, a man who had vanished from our lives after a bitter family dispute over property rights right around the time Grant was finishing college.
"Martha," Richard said, his voice carrying clearly across the front lawn as he walked up the brick walkway. "It’s been a long time."
I didn't smile, but I didn't reach for the broom as a weapon, either. "Richard. What are you doing in Austin?"
"I heard about the wedding," Richard said, stopping at the base of the porch steps. He kept his hands visible, an old habit from a family where arguments often turned into shouting matches. "And I heard about... well, I heard that things nearly fell apart here last year. I came to see if the rumors of the family healing were actually true, or just small-town gossip."
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"The family is healing just fine," I said coolly. "Though we don't usually invite ghosts back into the house unless they have an appointment."
Richard gave a dry, humorless chuckle. "Fair enough. But I didn't come to start a fight, Martha. I came to deliver something that belongs here."
