Legacy by the Sea — When Family Becomes Strangers
“Emily, my brother Jonathan called,” said William as he stepped into the kitchen. “He and his wife Catherine are coming by on Saturday—just the two of them, no spouses or children. Said he wants to talk seriously.”
“I wonder what could be so important that they’d come alone,” mused Emily, narrowing her eyes. “Then again, don’t answer. I already know. It’s about the inheritance. Two months have passed, and now they’re ready.”
William nodded silently. He’d felt it himself since Aunt Margaret signed over the city flat and the country cottage to him, Emily, and their daughter Charlotte. For four years, they’d cared for Aunt Margaret in her illness. The others? They only visited the cottage in summer, and whenever the old woman asked for a ride to breathe fresh air, everyone was “too busy.”
Saturday at four sharp, Jonathan and Catherine arrived. Without pleasantries, they settled in the sitting room.
“We’ve come about the cottage,” Jonathan began bluntly. “The flat is yours, fair enough. But the cottage—we’ve always looked after it.”
“No,” Emily said coldly. “You didn’t. You enjoyed it. You used it—never tended to it. And when Aunt Margaret needed you, you never came.”
“And who had the time? We’ve got children, grandchildren, jobs!” Catherine snapped.
“Yet here you are with demands now,” William remarked. “Odd, isn’t it?”
“Did you even take her to the cottage?” Catherine added bitterly.
“We didn’t have a cottage, but we paid for her stays at a seaside retreat—twice,” Emily replied evenly. “And we’re in the will. It’s joint property. We’re selling.”
“Seriously?” Jonathan gave a dry laugh. “Over a few square feet in a crumbling house, you’d turn your back on family?”
“If it’s so crumbled—why fight so hard for it?” William countered calmly.
The next day, the phone rang.
“William, what’s this? We came with Edward to collect our things from the cottage—and the locks are changed!”
“They are. On the gates and the house. Should’ve called ahead. Come by Saturday when we’re there with Emily. Take what’s yours—but not before.”
Hanging up, William turned to his wife.
“How’d you know they’d rush over?”
“Don’t you know your own family? If we hadn’t changed the locks, they’d have stripped the place bare.”
They sold the cottage. With the proceeds and the sale of their old flat, they bought a three-bedroom house in Brighton, steps from the sea—just a ten-minute drive to the beach.
Charlotte stayed in Aunt Margaret’s city flat while finishing her second year at university. William took work at the docks; Emily began teaching at a nearby school. It should’ve been the start of a peaceful new chapter. But peace was short-lived.
Their phones started ringing off the hook in March. Long-forgotten relatives suddenly remembered their “dear ones.” Catherine called first:
“You took the cottage, so we’ve nowhere to go. We’ll be staying with you in July—all of us, including Jonathan’s granddaughter.”
“Catherine, we didn’t invite you. We live here—it’s not a resort. Book a hotel if you want a holiday.”
“Have you seen Brighton hotel prices?!”
“I haven’t. If they’re too steep, holiday somewhere cheaper. But not here. We’re not hosting.”
“So Emily’s parents could stay, but your own sister can’t?”
“They were Emily’s parents. If ours were alive, we’d welcome them too. But five adults and children for a fortnight? No, thank you.”
“You’ll see! One day you’ll be alone, and no one will remember you!”
“Don’t fret. Since we moved, we’ve had more ‘family’ than we could fit in two houses. They only remember us from May to September. The rest of the year—silence.”
Silence. The most precious part of their lives now.
