Chapter 9 - The Workshop in the Mountains
Six months later, the early morning sun rose over the rolling foothills outside Santa Fe.
Sean stood inside the newly renovated timber barn adjacent to Maya’s art studio. The sweet aroma of fresh cedar shavings, beeswax, and wood stain filled the expansive, sunlit workshop.
Using the five-thousand-dollar tool grant Evelyn had quietly included at the bottom of the shoebox, Sean had established Hayes & Sister Artisan Furnishings. He designed and handcrafted custom solid-wood dining tables, rocking chairs, and cabinetry, while Maya created hand-painted ceramic inlays and mosaic finishes for each piece.
Within four months, their handmade furniture had been featured in architectural magazines across the Southwest, with orders booked six months in advance.
On a warm Saturday afternoon, Arthur Vance arrived at the workshop in a rental sedan.
"Arthur!" Sean smiled, wiping sawdust from his hands and stepping out to greet the older attorney with a warm handshake.
"You look well, Sean," Arthur smiled, looking around the bustling workshop and the laughing students in Maya's art studio next door. "Evelyn knew exactly what she was doing."
Arthur opened a leather briefcase and handed Sean a legal deed.
"What is this, Arthur?"
"When the Heritage Conservancy acquired Evelyn's Victorian, they discovered a private codicil," Arthur explained. "Evelyn stipulated that once you located Maya and established a lawful trade, the family workshop in Sonoma County—valued at four hundred thousand dollars—would transfer unconditionally to you and Maya."
May you like
Sean looked at the deed, then looked over at his sister laughing in the sunlit courtyard.
"Tell the conservancy to keep the land, Arthur," Sean said with a calm, peaceful smile. "Sell the property and donate the proceeds to the youth shelter. We have everything we need right here."
