Chapter 2 - The Realtor’s Arrival
The following morning, the autumn sun cut sharply through my sheer curtains. My phone had buzzed continuously since dawn—twenty-three missed calls and a dozen panicked text messages from Mark: “Mom, what happened?” “Karen said you walked out of the cabin, what is going on?” “Please call me back.”
I ignored every single one. Instead, I poured a fresh cup of coffee and waited for nine o'clock, when Arthur Vance, a veteran real estate broker who had known Robert and me for decades, arrived at my front door.
Arthur looked at me with deep concern when I opened the door, noting my rigid posture and the thick leather portfolio in my hands. "Margaret, when you called me last night about putting the Smoky Mountain property on the market immediately, I thought maybe I misheard you. Are you sure? That cabin meant everything to you and Robert."
"It meant everything to us, Arthur," I corrected softly, leading him to the dining table where the property deeds, tax receipts, and maintenance logs were laid out in precise order. "Now it’s just a liability. I want it listed by Monday. Full market value, and I want a clause stating the current unauthorized occupants must be legally evicted before any prospective buyer tours the premises."
Arthur adjusted his glasses, scanning the paperwork with a sharp, professional eye. "Evicted? Margaret, do you have squatters up there?"
"Worse," I replied, a tight smile touching my lips. "Family. My daughter-in-law's parents and their relatives decided to move in without permission. And my son facilitated it."
Arthur whistled softly, shaking his head. "Good grief. Well, the property is 100% in your name, sole deed, sole title. Robert made sure of that before he passed. We can have local law enforcement serve a formal notice of trespassing and vacate the premises within twenty-four hours. But are you prepared for the fallout with Mark?"
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"Arthur," I said, meeting his gaze with absolute resolve, "for thirty years, I worried about the fallout of every decision I made, hoping to keep everyone else comfortable. I am done setting myself on fire to keep ungrateful people warm. Let's list the cabin."
By noon, the paperwork was signed, notarized, and officially filed. The cabin was on the market, and the clock was ticking down on Karen and Paul’s little mountain vacation.
