Page 37 of Somewhere We Belong

“What about the farm?” Theo interrupted her.

“I sold it.” She looked at her feet. “Mom and Dad’s debt was a lot, and workers are hard to come by. It was a foolish dream to try and save it.”

“Shit, Iris, why didn’t you tell us?” Jude asked.

She shrugged. “And admit failure? It was hard to process, maybe I’ll have a chance to buy it later or at least be a part of it somehow.”

“Izzy,” Theo came up to her. “You didn't have to do it alone.”

He pulled her in for a hug and she threw herself to him.

“I needed to do it alone,” she cried. “I loved the farm. It was home for so long and I thought I could do it alone, but the debt was crippling, the workload was never-ending and not finding help was the cherry on top.

“Izz, what are you talking about?” Jude hugged his siblings.

“I just thought I could keep our family legacy alive. But I think no matter what I did, even if I had had you guys, there was no way we would have survived more than a few years,” she said muffled.

“They hadn’t been doing well financially for a while.” Jude kissed her head.

“I found all the transactions you had given them, Theo,” Iris pulled away. “I’m sorry when I said you weren’t helping, and I was shocked when I saw the amount you had given them. How did it get so bad?”

“They never wanted to change, they thought that if they kept doing what they had been doing, money would get better,” Jude said.

Theo huffed. “They were so stuck in their ways, and that farm was slowly dying because they couldn’t see that they needed to do something different.”

“I’m so sorry, Theo.” She hugged him again. “I have something for you.”

She walked away as we all looked at each other. I don't think any of us were expecting for her to see the light, especially after their parents had died. She came back with an envelope.

“This belongs to you and Jude,” she said, handing it to Theo.

Theo grabbed the envelope warily.

“It’s not a lot. Most of the sale had to go towards their debt and I paid for their headstones,” Iris said nervously.

“Shit, Izzy, I can’t take this.” Theo showed Jude.

“I don’t need it, you sacrificed a lot to help them stay afloat. I think it should go to Theo.” Jude said, pushing the envelope back to Theo.

“We can split it between the four of us,” Theo mumbled. “It’s only fair.”

“I paid off my little Honda and gave six months of rent at this apartment and Luke said he didn’t want it,” Iris shrugged. “After all that money you fronted them without asking for a dime, take it.”

I was too curious for my own good and walked over to Theo seeing a check for fifty thousand. My eyes widened, expecting a few thousand. It wasn’t near the amount he had given them, but this would help the ranch so much.

“Put it towards the ranch, put it towards your future and the legacy of our family,” Iris smiled. “I’ve heard nothing but great things about the ranch and all you do for the community.”

“Take it, Theo, she’s right. Put it towards all the shit you need to get done,” Jude said. “This is still our family's legacy.”

Theo nodded, hugging Iris. Colt and I looked at each other with relief on our faces. Theo deserved this and so much more and I was glad he would have his sister here. Family had always been everything to Theo, getting his sister back was a step in the right direction, and hopefully it would heal a part of him.

12

theodore

Iris had cometo live in Sterling and for once, I was excited to have my sister living close to me. I knew she had been sheltered, our parents had kept her far away from me, like what I had was contagious. Once they had alienated all of their boys, I think they worried about who would continue the Malone legacy and that’s when they changed their tune a little.

They treated Iris so much differently than us and in turn, Iris was completely loyal to them, so much so, she hated us and the distance we kept between our parents. I wasn’t a smart man, but once I graduated, I knew I needed to leave. After seeing my older brother, Luke, leave and make something of himself, I had to do the same. The only reason my parents tolerated me was because I did my work at the farm efficiently and without complaint.

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