Chapter 8 - The Settlement
On March 28th—three days before the ninety-day deadline expired—we gathered in the grand conference room of Title First National in downtown Council Bluffs for the formal closing of the Pine Ridge property.
The house had sold for seven hundred and eighty thousand dollars to a young tech executive relocating from Omaha.
Sitting on one side of the long glass conference table were Frank, Eleanor, and their real estate attorney. Sitting on my side was Rebecca Vance, my corporate legal counsel, and myself.
The atmosphere in the room was silent, formal, and strictly professional.
The closing officer stacked the thick reams of paper in the center of the table. "Alright, ladies and gentlemen. We are finalizing the escrow distribution for the property located at 404 Pine Ridge Road."
He pulled out the primary disbursement sheet.
"First priority lien distribution goes to Miller Commercial Systems LLC in the amount of two hundred and twelve thousand, four hundred and fifty dollars, representing full satisfaction of the master mortgage note and promissory agreements."
My attorney checked the numbers, nodded, and passed the document to me. I signed my name in crisp, black ink: Maya Ellis Miller.
The closing officer slid the remaining documents across to my father.
Frank picked up his pen. His hand trembled so violently he could barely hold the plastic barrel. He looked over at me, his eyes filled with a mixture of profound defeat and lingering embarrassment.
"Maya..." he muttered, his voice barely audible. "I... I bought a used Buick yesterday. Cash. Paid off Dale’s truck balance too."
"Good, Frank," I said simply. "Living within your means is a good step."
"We're moving into the townhome on Oak Street tomorrow," he continued, looking down at the closing papers. "It’s... it’s small. But it’s clean."
"I hope you and Eleanor find peace there," I said honestly.
He signed his name on the final line, pushing the papers back to the closing officer.
With that final stroke of the pen, four years of financial entanglement were officially erased. The funds were wired directly into my corporate account before we even stepped out of the conference room.
As we walked out into the lobby, my father stopped near the glass elevators.
"Are you coming to Junie's birthday party next month?" he asked softly.
May you like
I looked at him. "Sarah and I are throwing Junie's party together at my house. You and Eleanor are welcome to come—as guests. But if there is a single comment about money, business, or past grievances, you will be asked to leave immediately."
Frank swallowed hard, nodding slowly. "We'll be on our best behavior, Maya. We promise."
