The chest was locked—not with a key, but with a puzzle carved into the wood. It took me half a day, my fingers raw, my patience thinning. When it finally clicked open, I gasped.
Inside was a letter and a check for $10,000.
Tears blurred my vision. His voice felt alive in those words. There were four more chests in the barn, each numbered, each locked with a puzzle. I couldn’t stop now.
The second chest held another check and a note explaining that all the toys we’d ever received were his own handiwork. The third chest was filled with letters—love notes between him and my grandmother, full of dreams, struggles, and devotion. I read them by lantern light, weeping. Their love was etched into every board of that farmhouse.
The fourth chest nearly broke me. After hours of frustration, I solved it. Inside was another check and a letter hinting at a secret life.
“You wonder why, and where the money came from. The last chest has part of my truth. I love you.”
The final chest consumed me for days. When I finally cracked it, my hands trembled as I unfolded the letter.
“I built this farm with your grandmother because it was our dream. Along the way, I discovered woodworking—first toys, then puzzle boxes, eventually safes for collectors. That’s how I earned more than anyone guessed. Maybe it’s selfish, but I believe this life will be good for you. You don’t have to farm—you can write, you can dream. Let the quiet give you strength, as it gave me. I’ve made sure you’ll have enough. Whatever you choose, I’ll be loving you from the other side. Always, Grandpa.”
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