Chapter 4: The Other Thing
The woman at the door was holding a black folder against her chest.
She looked to be in her early fifties, with silver threaded through her dark hair and a calm expression that somehow made Cedric look even more nervous.
The man beside her introduced himself first.
“Good morning. I'm Daniel Brooks.””
The woman nodded.
“I'm Rachel Brooks.””
Cedric stared at them.
“I don't understand.””
Rachel looked past him at me.
“You're Tatum?””
“Yes.””
She smiled politely.
“Then I think we should come inside.””
Cedric moved aside reluctantly.
I stepped back.
The Brooks family entered my house.
My house.
For the first time in thirty-eight years, I said those words in my head without attaching Cedric's name to them.
Daniel glanced around.
“Beautiful place.””
“Thank you.””
Cedric gave a bitter laugh.
“You've got to be kidding me.””
Rachel turned toward him.
“I don't believe we've met.””
“I'm her son.””
Rachel looked at me.
I nodded.
“Yes. Cedric.””
Something about the way she said his name made him uncomfortable.
“Right,” she said.
Cedric crossed his arms.
“What did you mean when you said my mother left you something?””
Rachel opened the black folder.
Before she could answer, Dave stepped inside.
“Let's sit down.””
We gathered around the kitchen table.
The same table where I had helped Cedric with homework.
The same table where I had signed his college loan papers.
The same table where, two nights earlier, I had written *What belongs to me?*
Now four adults sat around it while my son watched the life he had taken for granted slipping out of his hands.
Rachel placed several documents on the table.
“Tatum, before we proceed with the closing, there's something we need to clarify.””
Cedric leaned forward.
“What?””
Rachel looked at him.
“This doesn't concern you.””
“It concerns me if you're buying my home.””
Daniel spoke gently.
“We're buying Tatum's home.””
Cedric's jaw tightened.
“My mother wouldn't sell it without talking to me.””
I almost laughed.
“She did.””
He looked at me.
“You didn't tell me.””
“No.””
“You deliberately kept this from me.””
“Yes.””
His chair scraped backward.
“Unbelievable.””
Rachel opened the folder.
“The house is being transferred with clear title. There are no ownership claims from anyone other than Tatum.””
Cedric scoffed.
“I never said I owned it.””
Rachel looked at him.
“You told the listing photographer yesterday that you did.””
Cedric froze.
I looked at Dave.
Dave looked back at me.
“Cedric came outside while the photographer was here,” he explained.
Cedric shook his head.
“I said it was my family's house.””
“That isn't what you said,” Dave replied.
Cedric glared at him.
“Why are you doing this?””
Dave remained calm.
“I'm doing my job.””
Jessica suddenly appeared at the bottom of the stairs.
“What is happening?””
She saw the strangers.
Her eyes widened.
“Who are they?””
I answered.
“The buyers.””
She stared at me.
“Today?””
“Yes.””
“But you said you were moving.””
“I am.””
Jessica looked at Cedric.
“Did you know about this?””
He didn't answer.
Rachel stood.
“I think we should step outside for a moment.””
Cedric frowned.
“Why?””
“Because I want to speak with Tatum privately.””
“No.””
I looked at my son.
“Cedric.””
He stopped.
“Go.””
His eyes flashed.
“This is my family.””
“No,” I said.
“This is my house.””
He stared at me.
Then, slowly, he walked outside.
Jessica followed him.
The kitchen became quiet.
Rachel waited until the door closed.
Then she reached into the folder.
“This is for you.””
She handed me a sealed envelope.
I frowned.
“What is it?””
“Something we received from your attorney.””
“My attorney?””
Dave looked surprised.
“Your attorney?””
I looked at him.
“I don't have an attorney.””
Rachel's expression changed.
“Then we have a problem.””
She opened another document.
“This was included in the preliminary property packet.””
I read the first page.
My name was printed at the top.
Below it was a legal description of my property.
Then I saw another name.
*Cedric Harper.*
My heart stopped.
“What is this?””
Dave took the document.
His expression hardened.
“This isn't a deed.””
Rachel nodded.
“No. It's a proposed transfer document.””
I looked at the signature line.
There was a signature beneath my name.
My name.
Except I had never signed it.
My fingers went cold.
“That isn't my signature.””
Rachel nodded.
“We suspected that.””
Daniel pointed toward the bottom.
“There's another problem.””
I looked.
The date was from three months earlier.
Three months.
While Cedric had been living under my roof.
While he had been telling people the house would eventually belong to him.
While I had been paying every bill.
I looked at Dave.
“Who prepared this?””
He shook his head.
“I don't know.””
Rachel answered.
“The document was filed with a title company as part of an attempted financing transaction.””
My mouth went dry.
“Financing?””
Daniel nodded.
“Someone apparently tried to use this property as collateral.””
I stared at the paper.
“Who?””
Rachel hesitated.
Then she looked toward the window.
Cedric and Jessica were standing outside.
“That's what we were hoping you could tell us.””
I stood.
My knees suddenly felt weak.
Dave caught my elbow.
“Tatum.””
“I need to know.””
Rachel closed the folder.
“We should verify everything before making an accusation.””
I nodded.
“But you believe someone tried to use my house?””
“Yes.””
“For a loan?””
“Yes.””
“How much?””
Daniel answered.
“Two hundred and seventy-five thousand dollars.””
I stared at him.
Two hundred and seventy-five thousand.
My entire body seemed to go cold.
Cedric had once asked me for eight hundred dollars for golf equipment.
I had refused.
He had used my credit card anyway.
I had called it a misunderstanding.
Now there was a document suggesting someone had attempted to leverage my home for more than a quarter of a million dollars.
Dave looked toward the backyard.
“I'm going to ask Cedric to come inside.””
“No.””
Rachel looked at me.
“You don't want to confront him?””
“I do.””
“Then why not?””
I folded the document carefully.
“Because I want to know exactly what I'm accusing him of.””
Dave nodded.
“That is the right move.””
I looked at Rachel.
“What happens now?””
“The closing can wait.””
I shook my head.
“No.””
“Tatum—”
“I want to sell.””
Daniel looked at me.
“Even after this?””
“Especially after this.””
I gathered the documents.
“I'm not letting fear turn this house back into a prison.””
Rachel gave me a long look.
Then she nodded.
“Understood.””
Outside, Cedric was pacing.
When I stepped onto the porch, he turned.
“What did they say?””
“Nothing you need to worry about.””
His eyes narrowed.
“What's that supposed to mean?””
“Go pack.””
He laughed bitterly.
“You think you're just going to throw us out?””
“No.””
I held up the document.
“You're going to leave because I no longer want you here.””
His gaze dropped to the paper.
“What is that?””
“Something I found.””
He took one step toward me.
“Give it to me.””
“No.””
“Mom.””
“No.””
He reached for it.
I pulled it back.
His face changed.
“You don't trust me?””
I looked at him.
“Not anymore.””
For several seconds, neither of us spoke.
Then Jessica came outside.
“What happened?””
Cedric turned to her.
“Mom thinks I tried to steal her house.””
Jessica's face went pale.
“I never said that.””
“You didn't have to.””
Rachel stepped onto the porch behind me.
“Mr. Harper, I recommend you don't touch any documents related to this property.””
Cedric looked at her.
“Who are you to tell me what to do?””
“I'm the buyer.””
“Not yet.””
Rachel smiled slightly.
“Correct.””
Cedric looked at me.
“This isn't over.””
I nodded.
“No.””
“It isn't.””
He went inside.
Jessica followed.
Dave came beside me.
“Tatum.””
“Yes?””
“There's something else.””
“What?””
He looked toward the kitchen window.
“I checked the county records this morning.””
My stomach tightened.
“And?””
“There was an inquiry against your property six months ago.””
“By whom?””
Dave looked at me.
“Cedric.””
I closed my eyes.
Six months.
Exactly when they had moved in.
The same week he had promised me they only needed a few weeks.
I opened my eyes.
“Dave?””
“Yes?””
“Find out everything.””
He nodded.
“Everything.””
I watched my son through the window.
He was standing beside the refrigerator, staring at the photographs of his childhood.
For the first time, I wondered whether those memories had always meant something different to him.
Maybe I had spent thirty-eight years remembering sacrifice.
And he had spent thirty-eight years calculating inheritance.
Then my phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
One message.
*You need to ask Cedric about the second loan.*
I stared at the screen.
May you like
Then another message arrived.
*The house isn't the only thing he put in your name.*
